


Mrs. Destiny

by diav



Category: Kim Possible (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-11-04
Updated: 2013-05-30
Packaged: 2017-11-21 03:36:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 63
Words: 96,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/592994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diav/pseuds/diav
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shego places an ad. Kim responds. AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hello, Hello

She stared at the bottle of tequila in her hand. Maybe this was the best thing to do since she didn't want to go out and meet people in bars. Maybe, this'll bring her luck.

Oh, what the hell is she thinking?

She's just pathetic.

She clicked the "Post" button.

* * *

_Wanted: Single. F._

_Under 33._

_Must enjoy the sun._

_Must enjoy the sea._

_Sought by Single F._

_Mrs. Destiny._

_Send photo to address._

Kim stared at the Personals section on her computer. Normally, she wouldn't even be caught dead looking at this section on the Middleton Daily website, but after a string of bad dates and a messy break-up, she was in the mood for something different.

But online dating? Do these things even work? What if it's some serial killer hiding behind a fake identity? Luring women and then...

Kim sighed. That kind of thinking would make her seem paranoid. Plus, her BFF Monique said it was time to do something different. Going to bars and clubs to meet strangers who only wanted sex was just bad... Very bad.

But, this? Out of the personals she skimmed through, only this one caught her eye. It was so simple, yet so... deep. Nothing about how she makes money, or how she likes to 'have a good time', but just enjoying the sun and sea. What did that even mean?

Kim shook her head. She bit her lip. She browsed through her folders and attached a picture - one that was more flattering of herself from several years ago.

* * *

Her inbox chirped.

_Reply to Single F._

_My name is Kimberly._

_Cell phone number here._

_Call if you have the time._

_28 and bored._

_Grieving over loss._

_Sorry to be heavy,_

_But heavy is the cost._

She stared at the message. The only message she gets and it's so... cryptic. Perhaps she should humour herself and call her, no? Setting aside her book, she picked up the phone and dialled the number given.

It picked up after one ring. "Hello, Kimberly speaking."

She opened her mouth, but no words could come out. If someone took a photo, it would look like she was pretending to be a fish gasping for air.

"Hi... I got your message," was all she could muster.

She heard some rustling on the other end, as if Kimberly just put down whatever she was doing on top of a stack of paper.

"Oh, hey, uhh," there was a pause.

She took over the conversation quickly, "Thanks so much for your response. These things can be scary, not always what you want."

"Yeah" was the reply, so she continued. "How about a drink? The St. Jude Club at noon?"

"Sure."

"I'll phone you first, I guess." She trailed off. "I hope I see you soon."

* * *

Kim hung up. Well, that was definitely different. She didn't realize who called her until the woman on the other end mentioned her message. And then it hit her. They were both nervous about this whole ordeal of online dating.

She never attached the photo to her message. She hit cancel before she sent the message; her hesitation made sense - why would you want a stranger to know what you looked like before you talked to her? But, to be courteous, Kim argued, she had to at least confirm tomorrow's 'date'. She couldn't remember who hung up first, but the awkward silence was a bit too much to take, even over the phone. So she pulled out her laptop, found that picture, and quickly typed up a reply.

_I never got your name, I assume you're 33._

_Your voice, it sounded kind._

_I hope that you like me._

_When you see my face, I hope that you don't laugh._

_I'm not a film-star beauty._

_I sent a photograph._

* * *

Next day.

She pushed up her glasses on her nose. She was early. And sitting in the back of the club. She saw the photograph and couldn't believe her eyes. How could someone so gorgeous be single? Surely this was a ruse. It had to be.

She sipped on her coffee and pretended to read the paper. Any minute now, the real Kimberly will walk through the door and she will see who she truly is. Maybe it was some creep posing as a pretty girl to lure them away and try to-

The wind chime rang as the door swung open. She pulled up the paper and peered over the top.  _She_  was real. So real that she almost dropped her paper and blew her cover.

Kim took a seat near the window, which faced towards the club's door, hoping that whoever she was meeting would be able to see her. Who wouldn't? Crimson red hair and a body that would make any other athletic twenty-eight year old jealous. In reality, she was really nervous. What did Single F look like? Did she managed to read Kim's email before she called Kim?

Fifteen minutes later, Kim frowned. Single F was late. Where could she be? Single F called her earlier to confirm, but now it just seemed like Kim was being stood up. She hoped that wasn't the case. Single F spoke with a gentle voice and gave Kim directions to the club. Kim hailed down a waiter and asked for a coffee. Two sugars, one cream.

Thirty minutes passed. Kim's coffee was almost drained from its cup. She tapped her fingers on the table. Maybe, just maybe, Single F took one look at her and bolted out the door. Kim had her eyes glued to the door for the past half an hour and the only people who came in left immediately after they go their drinks to go from the counter.

Forty-five minutes. Kim shook her head and sighed. This was all just a silly idea. Something she won't do again, she'd have to remind Monique that 'different' wasn't good.

An hour. Someone in the back of the room left. Long hair like silk, jeans, sweater with a plaid shirt. She couldn't catch her face. Kim then looked around. There were only three other tables with customers, one of which was the person's who just left. She tilted her head. This person had a good view of her from the back... could it be? No, why would Single F sit in the back and not say a thing to Kim? Unless... unless she too was nervous. No, her imagination is just kicking into overdrive.

Kim sighed. She left change on her table and walked out the door.

Maybe love just wasn't for her.

* * *

_Note to Single F:_

_Why did you not show up?_

_I waited for an hour and finally gave up._

_I thought once that I saw you, I thought that you saw me._

_I guess we'll never meet now._

_It wasn't meant to be._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is Personal by Stars. I know I used this before in Loud Music, but I couldn't resist using this as a basis for a one-shot story.
> 
> I've been busy with real-life things (these things just hit me like a tonne of bricks). Loud Music is sort of on hold at the moment...


	2. Dear My Regret

Every day for the next week, she came to St. Jude's Club for lunch. She got Kimberly's message, but didn't respond. How could she? She stood her up! No one would tolerate that; even she didn't. She didn't know why she froze. She'd never seen someone so pretty enough to resort to online dating - well, half of the personals she flipped through had pictures of suspiciously good-looking girls, but who can really tell? Well, at least now she knew that Kimberly was real.

So real that she happened to notice the redhead also stopped by the club for lunch. Every single day. It was just so tempting to go over to her and say hello, and pretend that nothing happened between then. Besides, Kimberly didn't know who she was, right? She could just go up, say hello, force herself to carry out small talk, and then they could be friends, but, no, she always sat in the back, away from the crowd, the noise, and from Kimberly.

It was like torture.

* * *

Kim looked behind her. There was that girl - no, woman - who sat in the back. The same one that she thought left the other day. Maybe she's Single F? Or just a regular at the club... She managed to get a good look at her face since the woman was looking down at her food. Slightly pale, glasses, and hair that looked like silk. She looked up and her eyes locked on with Kim's, before she broke away, staring down at her food again.

Kim turned her head back to the window. Maybe she is Single F, but she's incredibly shy? But if she's shy, why bother calling her only to bail on her? Maybe she took one good look at Kim and then balked? It wasn't like Kim was unattractive, but maybe she wasn't Single F's type?

She shook her head. Too many hypotheticals.

But, maybe, she should try something else? Grabbing her purse, she headed towards the bathroom at the back of the club. She passed by the woman's table - their eyes locked again - and gave her a warm smile before disappearing into the ladies' room.

* * *

Her cell phone started ringing. Fumbling with her pockets, she pulled it out and stared at the caller ID. "Kimberly."

She panicked. Should she take it? She just saw Kimberly walk into the bathroom... Was this a test? She didn't dare look around, in case Kimberly was watching somewhere... but she was in the bathroom - or was she? She felt conflicted: if she took the call, it would give away her identity in the club; if she didn't, Kim would think that she wasn't interested anymore.

She bit her lip. What to do, what to do...

* * *

Kim had gone into the bathroom, only to come back out again quietly after she was sure Single F's gaze went back to her food (or whatever was so interesting on her table). She peered into the club from the hallway into the bathroom area and noticed that Single F was clutching her phone. The one thing that Kim appreciated with technology was the fact that she had caller display on her phone; when Single F called her the other day, she immediately saved the number and was glad that the caller ID wasn't blocked.

Maybe it was a bit creepy, maybe it wasn't, but Kim wanted to confirm her suspicions. And she was right. Judging by how Single F gripped her phone and stared dumbfounded in shock, Kim figured it was time to take control of the situation.

Kim ended the call. She saw Single F close her flip phone in defeat and settled back in her chair. Kim slowly walked towards Single F's table.

* * *

She wasn't paying attention when Kimberly slid into a chair in front of her.

"Hi."

She looked up at Kimberly's smiling face. Panic set in.

"Uh, hi..."

Kimberly apparently noticed the hesitation in her greeting and her gaze softened. "I know it's direct of me, but are you Single F?"

She could only nod. Words were failing her at the moment, but she felt that she owed Kimberly an apology. "Look... About the other day..."

"It's ok, I'm nervous too," replied the redhead.

She nodded. Maybe Kimberly wasn't angry with her. Maybe they reached a mutual understanding without saying much at all.

"I'm Kimberly." A hand stuck out for her to shake, which she did. "But you can call me Kim."

"I'm Sheridan, but you can call me 'Shego.'"

The redhead nodded. Maybe this was a good start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, it's not a club-club, more like the old-fashioned term for coffee shop or a place where you can get sandwiches, tea, etc.
> 
> I didn't expect such a strong reaction to write more for this ficlet, so I am going to stretch it out a bit more. I didn't like how the first chapter turned out, but I needed to get it out of my system since it was bothering me for the entire day. I'm flipping back and forth between perspectives because I wanted to give it a try.
> 
> For those who were wondering, the italicized lyrics/text in the first chapter correspond to the messages that are passed back and forth between the two.


	3. Meet Me Halfway

This was all new to her. Maybe she wasn't used to being friends first before diving straight into dating. She didn't know anymore. All that numbness from the past needed to go away. One thing was for certain, though, she was falling hard for Kim. Very fast.

They were at St. Jude's Club again, this time on a lunch date trying to get to know each other. She was still staring at her food, even though Kim was talking to her. She wasn't being rude, she was just shy.

"Let's play 20 questions."

That brought her out of her funk. "Why?"

"It might be better than telling you my life story. Believe me, I do not want to tell you my life story since there's some things I don't want to relive," sighed the redhead. "I'd rather you ask me questions that you want to ask. How about we split it to ten each? What do you want to know about me?"

She stabbed the piece of lettuce in thought. "Why did you reply my ad?"

"It was different than most of the other ones. 'Must enjoy the sun, must enjoy the sea' sounded a lot better than 'looking for a good time, give me a call'," Kimberly took a bite out of her sandwich before continuing. "Ok, my turn. Why did you place an ad?"

She faltered in her reply. "Been burned in the past, don't want to go through all that drama again. Figured it would be easier to just meet someone online than in a bar."

Kim nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean."

"How did you know it was me?"

Kim smiled. "You probably think I'm angry at you. I'm not." She sipped on her coffee. "To be honest, I sort of was hoping you wouldn't show up. Like I said, I was nervous. I saw you leave but didn't manage to get a good look at your face. After that day, I decided to stop by here for lunch, I noticed you in the back. You were always there."

"But I could've been a regular at the club," she found herself replying.

"I did think about that, but most of the regulars here seem to be middle-aged." Kim chuckled. "Thirty-three isn't middle-aged, by the way."

She tilted her head in agreement and confusion. What did being middle-aged have to do with anything?

* * *

Kim thought Shego's confusion was amusing. And cute. She couldn't deny the fact that she was attracted to the older woman; who wouldn't be with looks that could kill? She, too, was skeptical about how such a pretty face resorted to online dating.

"Ok, my turn. Why come back here even though we didn't arrange anything after our first meeting?"

The woman's reply got Kim to chuckle out loud. "The coffee here is good."

"Next question, why did _you_ come back here as well?"

Kim smiled. "The coffee here is good and I wanted to confirm that you were you."

The older woman blushed and readjusted her glasses. "I guess it was pretty obvious, huh?"

Kim shook her head. "No, actually, I just thought you were someone else, but I had a feeling it might've been you. I don't know how to explain it, but I just sort of knew. And, I guess, you can blame caller ID too..." She bit her lip. Now that she thought about it more, it was pretty creepy to have called Shego since the woman didn't give her number to her.

"You really surprised me there," said Shego before taking a sip of her coffee.

"I know it was probably creepy and all..."

"It wasn't, really. I should've known that you had caller ID as well." Shego smiled. "I guess it all worked out in the end... since here we are..." Kim nodded. "You don't seem like a downbeat person, Kim, but why did you mention stuff about grieving over loss in your reply?"

Kim paled.

* * *

She froze. She asked a wrong question. Maybe she wanted to know too much too quickly. But the redhead regained her composure quickly.

"It's a long story. Maybe for another time."

Shego smiled. "So there'll be another time?"

Kim chuckled. "Yes, if you'd want there to be." Kim's gaze shifted to her hand, which was on the table. The redhead's next action made her heart race. Just a bit.

Soft fingers gently stroked her hand and she found herself staring into Kim's olive eyes.

"I know we didn't exactly get off to a good start, but I'm willing to get to know you better. I'm not sure what we both want out of this, but I feel like you're a good person and someone who might just want the same things as I do."

Her throat was dry. She didn't really have a proper response to... whatever that was. A promise for a future? Another date? She simply nodded in agreement and understanding.

The redhead looked at her watch. "I've got to go back to work. I'm sorry we didn't get to finish our little Q&A. Same time tomorrow?"

She swallowed and then cleared her throat. "Yeah, sure."

Kim picked up her purse and left enough money to cover the both of them. When she started objecting, the redhead winked and merely said "My treat" before walking out the door and into the bustling street.

She just stared dumbfounded at the now-empty chair across from her. Her heart fluttered. Just a bit - oh no - a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finding it amusing how I'm getting more feedback on this ficlet... not my intention to update it frequently, but because of the reviews, I might just happen to pump out more updates. I'm actually a bit stuck with Loud Music, so this is a nice break from thinking of a plotline that won't explode in my face in the long run.
> 
> One thing that amused me was that I had some typos in Chapter 01 - I've fixed those, but I don't think anyone noticed... I want to see if I can do a chapter a day, but I have no idea where the plot is headed, so... it'll be interesting.


	4. I've Got A Feeling

Kim drummed her fingers on the table. For once, she was early for lunch. Shego was nowhere to be seen.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

Half an hour passed until Shego finally showed up.

The older woman looked rather out of breath as she sat down in the chair across from Kim.

"Everything ok?" the redhead inquired.

Shego caught her breath. "Yeah, just had to rush over. Sorry for being late. I should've called."

Kim shook her head. "It's ok, it's understandable." She bit her lip. "Where were you coming from? Work?"

Shego nodded. "I work over in the midtown area, so I generally walk over here, but today was just hectic."

Kim tilted her head. Not once did either woman mentioned anything about their professions. Perhaps now as a good time to start. "What do you do?"

Shego wiped her brow with the back of her hand. "Technically, I'm a graphic designer for a small advertising firm, but I do all sorts of stuff too."

Kim found herself nodding, but she was distracted by how flustered Shego was from rushing over. It was cute. Her normally neat hair was in disarray and her cheeks were pink. Kim smiled to herself before she noticed Shego giving her a quizzical look.

* * *

She was never late. Never. But, today was just one of those crazy days at work. One where she'd have to tell Betty to find another person to run these silly errands or else she'd threaten to quit. Or ask for a raise. Either one would work, but being late for a lunch date was unacceptable. Especially since she was too busy to give Kim a call.

Maybe it was because it was so habitual of her to expect the worst in people, she was a bit surprised to see Kim all calm and collected when she walked in half an hour late. She knew Kim probably had about an hour for lunch, so today's date would be cut short because of her lack of punctuality. Sadly.

Noticing the look on the redhead's face, she asked, "What's so amusing about being a graphic designer who runs around doing PR, picking up materials, and tries to make it in time for a lunch date?"

Kim grinned. "The fact that she's all hot and flustered trying to get here on time is cute. Really cute."

She felt her cheeks burn red.

* * *

After eating their sandwiches, the conversation left off from the day before. Kim wiped her mouth with a napkin before starting. She glanced at her watch. They still had fifteen minutes, maybe less since she had to walk back to work. "I think it's my turn to ask questions." Her companion nodded, but who, really, was keeping track? Neither of them seemed to care about how many questions were being asked since all that mattered was that they enjoyed each other's company.

"Do you travel often? From the impression I got from the ad, you like beaches? Middleton doesn't seem to have many beaches - well, at least ones that haven't been trashed by drunken teens."

Shego chuckled. "I'm originally from Go City, and they had quite a few there. As clichéd as this might sound, I did enjoy walking along them at night to clear my head. When I moved here, I was a bit disappointed that they don't have many. I don't really travel abroad, if that's what you're asking. I mean, I could, but I haven't recently."

Kim nodded. "How long have you been in Middleton?"

"About a year. I sort of moved here for work. How about you?"

"I've been in Middleton all my life, actually. I've been abroad a few times for some humanitarian work, but Middleton's always been home."

Her lunch partner thought for a moment. "What do you do at work?"

"I'm actually working as an editor at the Middleton Daily. I mostly go over the sections that deal with local news and businesses." She chuckled softly. "I, uh, happened to go through the Personals section on my break and came across your ad."

Smiling, Shego replied with a "I'm very glad you did."

Kim glanced at her watch. Still had some time left, it wasn't like her writers would harp on her if she came in late since she was their boss... sort of. She'd tell them to rewrite their articles, yes, but she was more of a compassionate boss, not like Bonnie Rockwaller, her adversary in the World News section. "What do you like to do on your days off?"

"Well, it's hard to say sometimes. I'm sometimes given work on the weekends if my boss wants something turned around quickly, but usually I like a good book with a drink. Maybe veg out with watching TV too."

"Sounds fun, but also stressful since you're sort of on-call."

"You are too, I guess, if you're doing the local news section. Middleton Daily also prints on the weekend, don't they?"

"I'm one of the two editors for the section. We alternate, so I do work some weekends, but not always."

Shego sighed. "We're busy people." It wasn't a statement, but more of an exasperation of their situation: they were too busy to date each other.

"I suppose we are. But, are you free this weekend? Do you want to catch a movie or something?"

* * *

It had been a while since she was asked out on a date. It felt nice.

"I'm free this weekend. I'll make sure my boss won't give me any work... I mean, after today, I've sort of had it with all the little errands she makes me do."

Her redheaded companion laughed. "But she's your boss, she can make you do whatever she wants you to do."

"Says the editor who probably bosses her writers around." She stuck out her tongue. "No, it's just that we're understaffed and don't have someone working the position to deliver important documents to clients. I ended up doing that today since she caught me on the way out."

"Poor you," teased Kim.

"It cut our lunch date short, that's what bothers me."

"Haha, you're cute." She felt her cheeks burn again. "It's fine since we'll be together on the weekend." Kim was about to pull out her wallet from her purse, but she waved it off.

"It's my treat today." A wrinkled twenty made it onto the table and a smile formed on her lips. "Plus, it's my fault for making you wait."

She made a mental note to herself that Kim said the darnedest things. Because the next thing that came out of Kim's mouth made her feel butterflies.

"If I had to wait this long to meet you, I'd say it's been worth it so far."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaha, so cheesy. Everything I write for this fic is so cheesy, I don't know why. I think it's a crazy idea for me to pump out a chapter every day, but here's to me trying to make up for not participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year. I've never participated in it before, but this might be a good exercise. I'm more afraid of getting lazy, but we shall see...


	5. A Welcomed Interlude

"You're in a good mood today, K."

Kim looked up from her pile of papers and motioned for her visitor to come into her office. "What's up, Bonnie?"

"Rumour has it you're dating again."

Kim's eyes narrowed. "If you're in here to dissect my love life, I'd suggest you go back to your office and review your pieces for tomorrow's deadline." She paused. "And I'm not dating again. We haven't even been on a real date yet."

Bonnie sat down in the chair in front of Kim's desk. "Yet you're meeting her every day for lunch. Since when is a lunch date not a date?" She winked.

"Bonnie, why do you even care about this stuff? You have better things to do."

"K, believe it or not, we were all worried about you after what happened to you and-"

"Bonnie."

Bonnie's voice softened. "We're just glad you're able to move on and not drown yourself in work. That's all."

Kim sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm ok, Bonnie. How did you find out?"

"You told your writers to take this weekend off since you're also not coming in. Something has to be up. You haven't _not_ worked a weekend in so long... so I figured you either had a date or you lost your mind..."

Kim laughed. "You're such a gossip queen, B."

"Of course I am. So, when's the date-date?"

"Weekend. We're gonna catch a movie."

"...and...?"

Kim smiled. "One step at a time, B."

Bonnie got up. "All right. Hope it'll be fun."

Kim got up to guide Bonnie out the door. "Thanks for caring, Bonnie."

"Caring, who, me? I'm just here to confirm a rumour and then gossip about it." Bonnie winked and, with a dismissive wave of her hand, walked backed to her office.

* * *

"Shego, you're late."

She glared at her boss. "For the record, Betty, you sent me off to run errands all over the city and you're telling me I'm late? I am entitled to a one hour lunch break, aren't I? You made me late for lunch."

Betty raised an eyebrow. "Never realized how aggravated someone could be because they were late for lunch..." She looked at the clock. "I guess 1:30pm isn't that late. Anyway, I have another errand for you to do."

"Betty, if it's making me go and deliver another set of documents for some stuck-up client, you're going to have to ask Will to do it. They all get on my nerves, you know that."

"Yet you're our PR person who's been giving us more business than we started..."

"Betty, please, not now. I was already late for lunch and you're just overworking me right now, you should know that."

"You're a valuable asset to this design firm."

"I know I am, and I'm not even getting paid enough to do the things I do."

Betty sighed. "You really like her, don't you?"

"What?"

"Why else would you be so aggravated about being late for lunch?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You've been leaving the office at exactly 11:45AM every day to walk to St. Jude's for lunch at 12:00 PM with a pretty redhead."

"Do you snoop on all of your employees, Betty?"

"If you mean just you and Will, then yes, I do snoop around. Anyway, I was in the area and happened noticed you and your friend sitting there. Is it snooping if I just happen to walk by and make an observation?"

"Yes, it's snooping if you're keeping tabs on my life outside of work."

Betty laughed. "We've known each other since college, Shego. I'd like to think I know you well enough to notice how gaga you're going over this girl."

Shego stuck out her tongue. "Ok, fine. I like her. There, is that all you wanted out of me?"

"Yes, now go and deliver this to Middleton Daily."

Shego's eyes went wide. "Middleton Daily?"

"Yes, they sent over some requests for redesigning their logo; this might be our lucky break." Betty noticed Shego's sudden change in demeanour. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. If we take this job, who's doing the designs?"

"Obviously, you are." Betty laughed. "Unless you want Will to do them?"

Shego shook her head. "Puh-lease, his grandmother could design a logo better than him."

Somewhere in the office, a male voice shouted, "I heard that, Shego!"

"Remind me exactly why you hired him?"

Betty shrugged. "He's good with the accounts and money."

"And I do all the work. Remind me exactly why you're the boss?"

"Because you both would be at each other's throats if I wasn't around?"

"You know, you're lucky we went to college together. If you were someone else, I would have quit ages ago."

"Well, we all knew I had the smarts for business and you had the design talent. Besides, you were the one who called me up after you decided to leave Go City."

"Which I am grateful to you for taking me in, thank you very much. Although, I do miss the pay I got from my old job..." Betty gave her a 'we're doing our best and I'm already giving you all the vacation days that you want - provided you get the designs done on time' look. Shego sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Honestly, I think you should at least hire someone else to help you with delivering the paperwork and PR. You don't leave me much time with the designs."

Betty nodded. "Been working on it. There's actually a talented young man over in the IT department at Middleton Daily who can freelance, so he might actually be able to help us set up some sort of online system for paperwork and orders that directly connect with our clients' and printers' systems. I think his name is Wade, maybe you should stop by and talk to him to see if he's still interested in helping us out."

"All right." Shego got up to get her jacket and backpack. "Who am I giving these papers to?"

Betty held up a piece of paper and read out the name. "A Miss. Kimberly Possible."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We interrupt the cheesiness with some exposure into Kim and Shego's working lives. Betty and Bonnie sure are nosy people, aren't they? ;-)


	6. Picking Up Pieces

She fidgeted in her seat. She arrived on time, after Betty called Middleton Daily to let them know that "Sheridan" was coming over to talk to about the logo redesign. The receptionist had led her to a waiting area that reminded her of those found in a doctor's office. "Miss Possible is in the middle of a meeting right now, but I'll bring you over once she's done," the receptionist had said.

She was nervous. She hadn't mean to drop by unannounced, but this was totally different: it was work. So, regardless of who was on the receiving end of the bargain, she'd have to put on her game face and hope that Middleton Daily took whatever GJ Designs had to offer for this proposed logo redesign. Besides, Betty didn't know that Kim was the redhead she met with during lunch, so everything was ok. She just hoped that Kim wouldn't be too surprised with her arrival.

* * *

After meeting with her writers, her intercom chirped. "Kim, there's someone from GJ Designs here to see you about the logo redesign."

"Thanks, can you let them in? Also, let Bonnie know about this meeting. I know she has her own plans for the logo changes."

"Will do. Will you need me to bring in some fresh coffee?"

"No, I think it's ok." Kim leaned back in her chair. If anything, this meeting might just be longer than she wanted since Bonnie wouldn't stop harping on how a logo change would give the paper the facelift that it needed. Sure, print readership was down with the advance of technology, but, according to Wade, the online readership had been soaring. Kim wasn't sure whether a logo change would do them any good, but she figured it might as well be a good thing to humour Bonnie. For now, at least.

She picked up her mug and was about to take a drink when she was greeted with a knock on her door. The door swung open and in came the receptionist, Jamie, and-

One look and she nearly dropped her mug. Good thing she had good reflexes.

* * *

She saw Kim almost drop her mug. Thankfully the redhead caught it quickly as it somewhat gracefully fell from her grip.

The receptionist, Jamie or something or another, said something about a Bonnie coming in a bit later, and then the door closed. And they were both staring at each other dumbfounded.

She bit her lip and took a seat. "Uh, hey."

Kim blinked and then chuckled. "When you said you worked for a design firm, I didn't realize it'd be this one that we're looking into to redo our logo."

She heard herself laughing somewhat. "Believe me, I only found out today after I got back to the office." She pulled out the papers from her backpack. "My boss asked me to give you these to look over. Mostly contract stuff, I guess."

"And you'll be doing the designs?" Kim asked.

"Yes," was the reply.

"I'm ok with this," said Kim as she leaned back against her chair. "But I think Bonnie might want to see your portfolio. She's got quite the personality and she wants everything to be perfect." She used air quotations to emphasize the 'perfect' because that is what Bonnie did: terrorize most of the employees to do her bidding to get what _she_ , not the paper, wanted.

"Yeah, I brought that with me too, but I guess we'll wait for this Bonnie to be here before we go over the stuff GJ Designs has worked on." She fidgeted with a semi-thick book that contained designs she had worked on ever since she moved to Middleton. Most were small designs for local shops, so GJD would get a lucky break if Middleton Daily ended up being their client. She found it a bit odd, however, that Kim and this Bonnie person had almost complete control over the logo change. Maybe now was a good time to sate her curiosity.

"I thought you were just an editor for the local news section. Why are you also in charge with the logo redesign?"

* * *

Kim tilted her head. She had not expected this question to be asked.

She replied in a quiet voice. "I sort of own the paper."

Shego's eyes grew a bit wide, but she didn't say anything else.

"I inherited it from my friend after he, uh, passed away. His dad was an accountant who managed to make quite a fortune just balancing books for the city, and the paper was in a bit of turmoil when I was in college. So my friend's dad bought it while it was on the brink of bankruptcy and here we are today."

She really didn't want to talk about this, and was glad that Shego hadn't really said anything. She glanced at the picture she kept on her desk and noticed that Shego had followed her gaze.

* * *

She found herself looking at a picture of a young(er) Kim and a boy with sandy-blonde hair. They were both smiling in the photo and there was a pink... creature perched on the boy's shoulder. He must've meant a lot to Kim, she thought. Was he the person Kim referred to in her reply - "grieving over loss"? She knew this wasn't the time and place to ask about this.

"Sorry," she said.

The redhead looked at her in confusion. "For what?"

"For asking something that I shouldn't have."

Kim countered with a "It's fine, I'm just ridiculously sentimental..."

And then there was silence.

She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Good job, way to make things awkward, she thought.

It was at that moment she had never been so glad to be rudely interrupted by the Wicked Witch of the West (of Middleton Daily).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because people were asking about Ron, I threw this twist in here... Maybe Kim will explain to Shego what he meant to her... one day.
> 
> Kim is the Good Witch of the East of Middleton Daily. Just imagine that Kim and Bonnie's offices are located on the east and west wings of the floor. I don't know why I'm making random Wicked references... I need sleep or something.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Picking Up Pieces" by Blue October.


	7. Stuck on You like a Summer Tic

Bonnie's screeching could be heard outside Kim's door. "What do you mean, they started without _me_? This paper doesn't run itself - if we're going to have a new logo, _I_ have to be in there." Whether or not she was merely putting on a show (Kim rolled her eyes) or was actually screeching at Jamie (she hoped not), Kim needed to control the situation. She hopped up from her chair and swung open the door.

She hissed at the source of unwelcomed noise. "Bonnie, what are you doing?"

Bonnie was, in fact, screeching at Jamie before she turned to look at an infuriated Kim.

* * *

She blinked. Here she sat, in Kim's office, beside the Bonnie person who just lost it because she was a few minutes late for their logo redesign meeting. The receptionist from before ended up in the room too - the poor girl looked like she was scared shitless - who wouldn't be? She made a mental note not to ever make this Bonnie person mad.

She looked at Kim now. The redhead was in a heated discussion with Bonnie about workplace etiquette and how Bonnie should set an example to fellow employees, not be a tyrant (or a complete bitch, she mused).

Now, Bonnie, on the other hand, sat in her chair with clenched teeth. Kim had explained to her that she didn't even talk about the logo changes with "Sheridan"; they were just merely exchanging introductions before Bonnie had so rudely interrupted them. Of course, that was a white lie, but it managed to calm down the uptight wound known as Bonnie Rockwaller.

Kim had turned to address Jamie; the girl looked like she had pissed her pants (somewhat, there did seem like there was a stain on her pants)...

She turned her head to look at the walls of Kim's office and tuned out the conversation (something to do with it being ok for Jamie to ignore Bon-Bon's eruptions and that there would be paid time off as compensation). She noticed a few photographs on Kim's desk, one being the one she had seen before with the sandy-blonde haired boy, but the majority being those of her family.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the receptionist had left and the Rockwaller woman began harping on her for credentials and her portfolio. It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

Kim had no idea why Bonnie had snapped outside her door. It probably had to do with one of her writers, she mused. She had noticed that Shego wasn't really paying attention to her conversations with Jamie and Bonnie - it was probably because Shego was merely a third party who was not the direct source of Bonnie's aggravation. In any case, Kim was glad that Shego wasn't freaked out by everything that just happened.

Kim felt a bit relieved, yet thankful, that Shego hadn't pressed any further about their conversation before Bonnie interrupted them - she'd tell her about Ron some other day. It wasn't that she had any painful memories about him, it was just that she missed her BFF who was like a brother to her.

It hadn't been three years since she had just finished college with a degree in journalism that she inherited the paper. Kim had actually interned at the Middleton Daily during her summers in-between semesters. She had not realized that Ron even had a will of some sort; her name was listed as the sole inheritor of Middleton Daily while his sister, Hana, took over all assets that were left in the Stoppable name. Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable had died in a freak automobile accident shortly after both Kim and Ron graduated from college.

Of course, the grief was too much for Ron to handle. Many a night, he had called Kim to talk because he had problems sleeping and functioning. He wasn't built for so much responsibility, Kim recalled. Hana was still in high school when all of this happened; Kim and her parents felt that they had an obligation to look over Ron's sister even though there were extended family members who were willing to take her in. While it had been too much to lose her parents, losing her brother really did affect Hana. Yet, Kim thought, Hana had grown up to be one of the strongest and bravest young women Kim knew; Hana had matured rather quickly after Ron's passing and was now determined to follow in her brother's footsteps: attend one of the world's most famous culinary schools.

By inheriting the paper, Kim was, by default, the sole proprietor of the business. It was nothing special, but she had recruited her friend Wade to help her out with integrating the technology required to make Middleton Daily more accessible: launching it into the World Wide Web.

How did Bonnie fit into the picture? She had a good business sense, if one dismissed her obnoxiousness. She was a business and art major, who went Middleton High with Ron and Kim, and was, (un)surprisingly enough, one of Kim's rivals. Bonnie had interned at Middleton Daily as well, but for a different purpose: understanding the business model of the company. Somehow, she had ended up with an editorial position in the business section and the readers loved her contributions. How she got promoted to World News was still a mystery to Kim. The shareholders had their own dealings when it came to promotions, but Bonnie had already been promoted before Kim became owner, so Kim felt that she should just stick with whatever worked (and that meant not firing Bonnie, oh how she would relish that if she could go ahead with it).

Kim's thoughts were interrupted by a "Kim! Are you even paying attention? I just asked you what you think of this piece!" Bonnie had flipped open Shego's portfolio and was pointing at a design.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all backstory... I think I'm spinning a very complex web and I am being rather cruel to the Stoppables (I'm sorry)... Ron isn't an ex-boyfriend, in case you are wondering. The horrible break-up business pertaining to Kim will reveal itself later. I have not planned this story out at all - I'm actually writing based on the feedback I get, so please do review if you have the chance.
> 
> Chapter title is an amalgamation of "Stuck On You" by Failure and Paramore's "The Summer Tic" EP.


	8. Maelstrom

She watched Kim snap out of her funk. It was interesting, watching the range of emotions flash over Kim's face while Bonnie unleashed her tirade of criticisms on her portfolio.

The redhead blinked twice before commenting. "This design is nice."

Bonnie seemed to be growing more agitated by the second. "Yes, it's good but this design was for a small sandwich shop; how can we guarantee that the work Sheridan is doing is good enough for us?"

Kim smiled as she turned to look at the graphic design artist. "I trust her to do an excellent job."

She felt the heat rise to her face, only to have Bonnie dissipate it with a "Well, I don't." Bonnie made a dismissive gesture and said, "Give us ten different designs by Monday and we'll talk."

She opened her mouth, intending to protest, but Kim interjected.

* * *

"Bonnie, that's not fair. Today is Thursday, Sheridan has a life outside of work. Do you expect her to give up her weekend to draw them up?" She sneered at her still-rival with a "Not everyone is a workaholic like you."

Bonnie opened her mouth but no sound came out. Kim thought she looked like a fish trying to breathe without water, but then Bon-Bon smirked.

"How about five? She can still do five by Monday, can't she?" Bonnie turned to look at Shego and asked, in what Kim thought was a sickeningly sweet voice, "Can you do five different variations by Monday?"

Kim watched as Shego mulled it over in her head. She had no idea what Shego's work habits were, but she felt that it was up to Shego to decide. Kim did not, however, want to let it slip that Shego was also busy this weekend (after all, they had their date). The last thing she wanted Bonnie know was that Shego was the mystery woman she was seeing - if Bonnie found out, she would probably suffer through Rockwaller Hell for weeks.

* * *

She looked blankly between Kim and Bonnie. She could get five designs done by the given deadline, but she had a feeling it would not be that easy. There was something sinister with Bonnie's demeanour; she decided to tip the scales in her favour.

"Five by Monday, but GJ Designs gets paid a lump sum for our initial efforts. If you end up not using the designs, it would be a waste of our time and resources, so we'd like payment in advance." Normally, she didn't 'bargain' with the clients, but given the circumstances, she felt that this was necessary to prevent GJD from being walked on.

* * *

Bonnie, as well as Kim, was surprised by the sudden change in character. Both women looked at each other in silence - Kim was smiling smugly, whereas Bonnie made a face that gave off a "Are you kidding me? Advance pay?" vibe.

"Take it or leave it," Shego flatly stated. "While I'm sure you have faith in our designs, I can't possibly let you think that you can walk over us by threatening to not give us the job if we don't deliver the initial designs. We can produce five, or even more, by Monday, but you will still need to pay us. Think of it as a deposit." She paused (more for dramatic effect than anything). "There are other design firms out there, yes, but none of them are as good as us." Shego smirked. "Which is why you contacted us in the first place."

Kim was still smiling smugly after Shego's perfect delivery of the bargain. Bonnie was, amusingly enough, speechless. It was expected, though, since Kim still called the shots. Especially when it came to money. The shareholders had actually contacted Kim several times to have Bonnie promoted to vice president, but Kim flatly refused every time. She couldn't let her best friend's business fall into the hands of one power-hungry woman; if it did, the paper would probably end up filing for bankruptcy since Bonnie had some wild and financially unsound ideas.

So, Kim took control of the situation.

"What is your going rate? You can bill by the hour and we will match it."

"Now, hold on just a minute, Kim!" Bonnie interrupted. "You're willing to pay them in advance? What if they give is sub-par work?"

"I'm pretty sure they won't. I have full confidence that GJ Designs will deliver."

Kim turned to Shego and smiled.

Shego grinned. "I'd like this all on paper." She turned to Bonnie. "So that, in case anything happens, we won't be liable for anything that wasn't stated in the contract."

Good plan, Kim thought. She knew GJ Designs was still small but they could still afford to slap Middleton Daily with a lawsuit if anything happened. From her initial conversation with Betty Director of GJD, the redhead had the impression that Betty, and now Shego, were people who should not be provoked in any way...

Bonnie finally conceded to Shego's demands. "Fine, we'll play by your rules, but, Kim, the shareholders will hear about how you're willing to toss aside money so easily." She stormed out the room, leaving the two other women smiling at each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was weird typing this up since I did the draft on my phone and was paranoid about people looking over my shoulder. Just trying to be more efficient on my commutes home from school. :-)
> 
> All right! What's next? Will Shego be able to get all the work done or will her date with Kim be postponed?
> 
> Thanks to dmnchld1029 for the constructive comments. :) I've fixed Shego's part in Chapter 07; hopefully it's not as confusing.
> 
> Chapter title is technically from Uh Huh Her's "Marstrom," but then I figured "Maelstrom" would be a better word to describe the three powerful forces (the women) in this chapter. =P


	9. You Make Me Smile

"Well, that was interesting."

She looked at her companion, who was still smiling after Bonnie had left the office.

"Yeah, it was," laughed the redhead. "I do enjoy pushing her buttons every now and then."

"I trust that you both don't really get along?"

"We normally don't. Long story short, we were rivals in high school."

She nodded. Maybe she didn't understand the relationship between the two, but she felt that they still got along in their own weird, strange way.

"You were..." Kim paused. "Just great." She patted Shego's hand. "Thank you for taking control of the situation. If I pushed her more, she would've thrown a fit and I'd have hell from the shareholders."

She blushed. Kim's hand was still on hers and she just wanted time to stop.

* * *

Kim noticed that Shego was trying to keep calm but she removed her hand. Now wasn't the time to be a flirt, she thought. They would settle this contract business and then deal with whatever growing feelings they had for each other. Don't mix work with pleasure, she reminded herself.

"Let's get this contract out of the way and then we'll... talk, if that's ok with you."

Shego nodded. "GJ Designs does bill by the hour, but I don't set the rate. You're actually going to have to talk to Betty. She adjusts it for every project we do to make sure there's still some profit."

Kim leaned back on her chair. "I understand. I'll give her a call tomorrow morning. Do you have to head back to your office now?" She looked at her watch; it was now 4:30pm.

Shego had also checked the time and shook her head. "Betty told me to give her a report tomorrow, so I guess I'm off the clock right now."

Kim grinned. Things were working in her favour. "Dinner?"

* * *

She blinked. Not even four days of knowing Kim and she was head over heels in...

No.

She refused to think it.

She needed to level the field. She had been hurt in the past the same way.

Shaking her head, she mumbled a "No, I have plans, sorry."

* * *

Kim literally recoiled. It was like she fired a gun that was now aimed back at her. Moving things too quickly, she mused.

"Ok... But we're still on for the weekend?"

Shego nodded.

"Look, I understand if /this/ is making you uncomfortable... And if you think we're moving too-"

Shego looked confused. She shook her head. "No, no, I forgot that I have to stop by to help out my brothers. They're moving into a new apartment and needed help."

"Oh? You have brothers? How many?"

"Four, if you count the twins as two separate people... I swear, sometimes they think they're one person..."

Kim laughed. "I have twin brothers too... I hate it when they..."

"...finish each other's sentences?"

Kim looked at Shego in understanding and they just both burst out laughing.

"Are you going to be ok helping them out?"

"Yeah, it's just a few boxes, I think."

"It could be more than a few."

* * *

Kim was breaking down her barriers. She knew the redhead was testing the waters, trying to gauge how far she'd be willing to go. Maybe it would be a better idea to humour Kim.

She pretended to think real hard about the situation. "Oh, maybe you're right. Guys keep a lot of junk, don't they? But it's just the twins moving... They're here for a few months to work on some project with the Middleton Space Centre."

She noticed the Cheshire grin that Kim had plastered on her face... It was creepy.

"Space Centre?"

"Yeah...?"

"My dad works there. I wonder if your brothers are working with him?"

She could not believe her luck. Or was it luck that she met this girl who made her feel like a high school girl crushing on the star athlete? Was it a mere coincidence that her brothers were working with Kim's dad? Or was it fate?

* * *

Kim was amused. Very amused.

She was still amused as to how she managed to convince Shego that it would make sense to carpool together instead of taking two cars to Walter and Wallace's place.

She was amused that she was now sitting in the passenger seat of one very nervous Shego's car.

* * *

"Relax." A soft hand covered her own. The death grip that she had on the steering wheel loosened a bit.

She turned to look at her newfound source of comfort.

"Why are you so nervous?"

"I just don't want to get hurt. You're not making it easy for me not to be."

Kim didn't know what to say. She, too, didn't want to be hurt but she was playing everything by feel. What she felt right now was to tell Shego that everything would be all right, tell her that nothing bad would happen, but how could she make these guarantees? She had be burned rather badly from her last relationship and it took her a year (or was it two?) to recover. On top of that was the fact that her BFF wasn't around anymore.

"I can't promise you anything, but what I feel right now is that this will work itself out and whatever happens, happens."

Shego nodded and put her other hand on top of Kim's. "Thanks."

* * *

The drive to her brothers' place was made in silence. She turned to look at Kim every now and then, and was greeted with a warm smile.

Kim had not let go of her hand after their talk, so she was driving with one hand (occasionally breaking away from Kim's to make turns, but finding her way back into those warm hands).

When they arrived, they found the twins walking around the apartment in nothing but boxers. Apparently they had forgotten their sister was coming over to unpack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all probably hate me for making Shego the shy, but not necessarily submissive, one. It's a sharp contrast than how I portray her in Loud Music, but we shall see how she breaks out her shell. I owe you her back story too...
> 
> Chapter title is from "You Make Me Smile" by Blue October. I feel like most of the chapter titles are from songs... la di da.


	10. Deciphering Me

Wallace laughed. "Hey, sis, didn't know you were bringing a friend over!" He looked at Kim and Shego's clasped hands and winked at his sister.

Kim noticed the exchange and unsubtly let go. She noticed that Shego was blushing. So cute, she thought. She offered her hand to Wallace. "I'm Kim." She paused as they shook hands. "Kim Possible."

"Dr. Possible's daughter?" asked Walter.

"The one and only," Kim replied.

"Fascinating." Wallace grinned as he looked at his sister, who was starting to look like she was going to die of embarrassment... Or she was looking like one ripe tomato.

Walter was smiling as well. "It looks like there's not much to move, but thank you for coming over anyway, Kim." He shook her hand and went off to the kitchen. "Can I get any of you drinks?"

Kim chuckled. "I think you should give your sister water or something. She looks like she's gonna burst or something."

Shego shushed the redhead. "Kim! Stop teasing, will you?" She sighed. "Walter, just give me water. How did you manage to move the boxes in so quickly?"

Walter came back with two glasses and handed one each to Kim and Shego. "Dr. Porter lent us some of her androids to help out... and I guess we sort of forgot to tell you that we didn't really need an extra set of hands."

Wallace chimed in with a "But you guys can stay for dinner!"

* * *

"Oh crap." She put down her fork.

They were eating take-out for dinner when she realised there was something she forgot to do. The twins were looking at her curiously and Kim gave her a worried look.

"Betty asked me to talk to Wade about setting up a network... Damn, how did that slip my mind?" Oh wait, Kim was distracting me, she mused happily.

"Wade? I can give you his number." Kim pulled out her cell phone and texted the number to Shego. "You can actually call him right now... He's probably still in the office."

"Why? Are you a slave driver who makes her employees work at 8 o'clock at night?" she asked amusedly.

"Oh no, he sort of lives there..."

"What?"

"He does a lot of freelancing but it's mostly contracts from overseas. We actually have really good hardware in the office and, since I've known him for a very long time, he probably has more access to everything than Bonnie."

"Oh..." Shego looked at her brothers and explained, "Kim owns the Middleton Daily newspaper."

"Cool, so you're going out with one of the wealthiest people in the city? Damn, you're lucky," commented Walter.

She felt her face burn. Again. Only her baby brothers knew how to push her buttons. She must've either turned really red or made a funny face because Kim burst out laughing.

* * *

Kim laughed at the bemused expression on Shego's face. "Walter, I think you should stop teasing your sister... She might do something bad to you later. Also, I might own the paper, but that doesn't mean I'm filthy rich."

"How can you not be?" asked Walter.

"It takes money to run the paper, along with all the other legal stuff I have to deal with. I have a fair amount from personal savings, but I also give it away to charities and the like. I don't really care that much about how much _I_ could possibly profit with the paper - I just want to keep it running in the long run." For the Stoppables' sake, she thought.

"Keeping it running still requires money," commented Wallace.

"True, but the revenue made are usually redirected into employee salaries and operating costs... so the profit isn't that much, but we're still breaking even."

Wallace nodded. "That's better than losing money. But you still have a bit of a reputation from what Walter and I noticed. Even though you're Dr. Possible's daughter, we heard..."

"...stories," finished Walter.

Shego tilted her head in curiosity. Everyone had forgotten about the topic of her and Kim's relationship, but even she was curious about Kim's social position in the small town of Middleton.

"Humour me," Kim said. "I've heard a lot about myself in a variety of different outlets. I wonder what else they've said to me that I can add to the list." Her tone wasn't harsh, nor was it amused.

Walter and Wallace looked at each other reluctantly.

"Just stuff about how you're all..."

"Goody-goody for show."

Shego blinked. She supposed it was the twins' way of saying that Kim was a fake.

Kim smiled and replied calmly. "That's all? Seems pretty standard to me."

Shego thought Kim's nonchalance was a mask to hide the redhead's true emotions, but she couldn't really tell, and it was not in her, and her brothers', best interest to prod for more information.

Sensing that things might get super awkward if they continued discussing this topic, Shego finally asked, "So... Why exactly were the two of you walking around in your boxers earlier?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is such an awkward chapter. I might rewrite it later...
> 
> Chapter title is from "Deciphering Me" by Brooke Fraser.


	11. After Tonight

Walter and Wallace looked at each other before answering.

"We had..."

"...an accident."

"Gross!" exclaimed Shego. "You're both 24, you should-"

"Jeez, sis, not that kind of accident! We merely were..."

"...trying to get the washing machine working when..."

"...it exploded on us!"

Kim laughed. The look on Shego's face was priceless. It was a mixture of disgust and amusement.

"Hold up. You were washing clothes?" she asked. " _You_ were washing clothes?"

The twins nodded fervently before Shego broke out laughing.

"You always made mom help you with laundry...! From what I remember, anyway."

Wallace gave his sister an annoyed look. "Thank you for embarrassing us in front of Kim, sis."

Shego grinned. "Any time, Wally. Any time. So how exactly did it blow up? Your laundry room must be a mess right now."

" _Someone_ decided it would be a great idea to do four loads at once."

"Hey, if it gets things done quicker, why not try to wash it all at once?" Walter protested.

"You could've done your own two loads on your own time, not stuff them in with mine!"

Kim watched the twins bicker. They reminded her of her own brothers. Most importantly, she thought, she was getting a glimpse into Shego's life with her family. Although they only knew each other for almost a week, Kim felt that they did have some things in common. She turned her head to look at Shego when they both locked eyes. Momentarily, at least. Shego had looked away quickly.

* * *

Perhaps it was good that she brought Kim over. She was glad that it wasn't awkward throughout dinner - the twins and Kim managed to talk a bit about Dr. Possible's work, and random things like finding the closest arcade that didn't close 'til late. Oddly enough, Shego felt at ease. She was a lot closer to the twins than her two other brothers, so she was glad that they were in town.

It was then that she realized how comfortable she was with Kim, and that the redhead got to meet her siblings. To others, it might seem too big of a step to have Kim meet the twins before their first date; this realization didn't faze Shego at all. Perhaps it felt like she was hanging out with Kim right now, trying to get to a feel of their situation before moving ahead.

And then there was that comment that Wallace brought up about Kim being fake. Shego was never attuned to the local gossip, having only lived here for a year; all she knew was that the Middleton Daily delivered her paper on time every morning to be read with her coffee. She never bothered reading the editorials, but maybe now she just might.

It was an odd comment to describe Kim, but she decided she wouldn't pry.

* * *

Dinner was enjoyable, but like all good things, it came to an end. The twins had to try to fix the washing machine (Shego gave them the number of a repair service), so they had to politely ask their guests to leave. But, before the "couple" left, the twins made a remark that made both their sister and Kim blush.

"Thanks for coming over, sis. You actually didn't get to help us move anything..."

"...but it was great seeing you! We haven't seen you this happy in a while, sis, so we're just glad that you brought Kim over," Wallace finished.

Both Kim and Shego made eye contact and then averted their eyes away from each other. The twins noticed the motions and grinned.

"It'd be great if you can stop by again!" they said in unison before closing the door.

* * *

And, here they were, standing outside the twins' apartment; neither making eye contact with each other since they were staring at the floor and wondering what to say to each other.

What a cheeky thing to say! I'm going to give them noogies the next time I see them, Shego thought amusedly.

Shego glanced at her dinner date, who was still staring at the floor due to embarrassment, and slowly made a move to hold onto Kim's hand.

Fingers entwined, Shego lightly pulled on Kim's hand. "C'mon, let's get you home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't write fluff. Everything sounds so weird that it's rather distressing.
> 
> Sorry about the pregnant pause since the last update. I've just been ridiculously tired and lazy...
> 
> I'm assuming Wego is around 24 if Shegos' 33... It makes the age difference pretty big, but I always sort of assumed the twins were roughly the same age as Tim and Jim.
> 
> Chapter title is from "After Tonight" by Justin Nozuka.


	12. Just the Way You Are

They finally made it to Shego's car. Kim hadn't said anything during the walk over; now, she felt compelled to do so.

She cleared her throat as Shego was strapping herself in with the seatbelt. "I had a good time tonight." She turned to smile at the driver.

Shego smiled sheepishly as she unconsciously rubbed the back of her neck. "Me too. Sorry about my brothers, they tend to speak without thinking sometimes..."

"It's all very flattering, though. It's nice." She paused and chuckled. "Is this how they try to set you up with someone?"

"Technically, they weren't trying to set us up since, well, we're already sort of..." What exactly were they doing? Dating? Shego cleared her throat and didn't miss the look of amusement in Kim's eyes. "Anyway, those two like to speak their minds... Actually, all my siblings do, now that I think about it."

"That's fine. It's better to be straight to the point sometimes."

"Something we're both not doing," muttered Shego. She liked Kim. A lot. And she was scared of what might happen if she spent more time with the redhead.

Whether Kim had heard the comment or not, she didn't show any sign of it. Kim just took Shego's free hand and held onto it as they drive out of the parking lot.

"So where do you want me to drop you off?"

"My car is still in the office parking lot, so of you can drive me back there, that'd be great."

"Sure."

The rest of the drive was quiet. Neither spoke as they both stole glances at each other every now and then.

* * *

By the time they arrived at the Middleton Daily parking lot, Shego noted that a few office lights were still on. It was ten o'clock.

Kim fidgeted in her seat before speaking. "I really did have a good time tonight. Your brothers remind me of mine... I don't see them often because they're living in California, but I'm sure mine would get along with yours since they're into messing with gadgets and inventing new things."

Shego smiled. It was good they had things in common; they would have plenty of things to talk about. "I had fun too. They used to be brats but they've grown up."

"Makes you feel old, doesn't it? My brothers were like that too - they're still mischievous when they visit home... Launching rockets and stuff in our front yard." Kim laughed at the memory of her brothers launching a small toy rocket that ended up in her neighbour's garage when they were 12.

Shego grinned. "Are you indirectly calling me old?"

Kim blinked before she realised what she had said. "No! I'm just saying that we're both... Oh... I guess I am? If it's any consolation, I'm old too!"

"Twenty eight isn't old."

"Then thirty three isn't old either."

They both laughed.

Kim checked her watch. Ten thirty. Time passes quickly when you're having fun, she mused.

"Oh, do you still want to talk to Wade? He's still in the office."

"From what you told me earlier, it seems like he lives there..."

"He does, sometimes... He just loves staying up and doing other work here."

"And you don't mind? He's basically moonlighting from what you've told me..."

"I've known him for many, many years so it's ok. Besides, he loves his job, so I'm not too worried about any legal implications of him moonlighting. He's actually freelancing with Middleton Daily too."

"But why stay overnight in the office? Sounds like a nerdlinger to me..."

"I have no idea what you just said. Nerdlinger?"

Shego nodded. "It's what I call computer geeks... Uh, I hope you're not offended."

"I'm not, but he might be." Kim chuckled. "He stays overnight in the office because his mom wanted him out of the house. He has his own apartment but he'd rather be near his work." Kim sheepishly added, "And he's our 24 hour go-to guy in case anything happens to our network and website."

"I hardly think anyone would mess with a newspaper network."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong. Since I've inherited the paper and set up the site, we've had hackers try to get in and change the front page of the site five times. Wade is great since he's built an impenetrable firewall, so they haven't tried anything in a while."

"But what's the point of hacking a newspaper's front page?"

"Control of the media? Spread vicious lies or just to promote a certain worldview that might brainwash a generation..." Kim sighed. "It's just ludicrous why people do these things because we do try to promote a neutral view of the news we present... But some just choose this as a way to annoy me personally."

"You? Why?" The second after Shego asked that, she instantly regretted it. She saw pain flash across Kim's face momentarily before the redhead shook her head.

"Story for another time, I suppose."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"I'm actually surprised you don't know, given that I apparently do have some sort of reputation here." a reputation that was viciously slandered after her last relationship. No, don't think about it, Kim thought to herself.

"I read the paper, but I don't really like rumours or gossip. Besides, I don't give a crap about politics." Shego softened her gaze. "Don't feel like you have to tell me anything. I won't think less of you if you don't, but I want you to know that I like you just the way you are right now."

Kim felt like a puddle of goo. Of all the people she dated, she never heard such sweet and kind words, so she naturally turned crimson at Shego's proclamation.

"Thanks" was all she could say before unbuckling her seatbelt, leaning over, kissing Shego on the cheek, and then getting out of the car.

Completely forgetting about going inside to talk to Wade, Shego just sat in her seat, in shock, as she stared at Kim's retreating figure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheesiness? Check.
> 
> Fluffiness? Check.
> 
> Playful banter for no reason at all? Check.
> 
> Happy readers? I hope so!
> 
> 12 chapters and still no first date? What am I doing? :P
> 
> Chapter title is from "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars.


	13. Surprise, Surprise

She drove home immediately after she recovered from Kim's kiss. She slept well that night. So well that she was late for work.

"Shego! Where have you been! It's already 11 o'clock!" her boss exclaimed as she walked into the office.

"Shut it, Betty. I overslept."

Betty rolled her eye. Honestly, the nerve of the woman walking in late and not even apologizing, she thought. I'm going soft if I'm letting her walk over me like this.

"Work starts at 9, Shego. Walking in two hours late is inexcusable. I don't care if you had a rough night or just overslept, but the responsible thing is to call your boss to let her know!"

Shego dismissed Betty with a wave of her hand as she booted up her computer. Will was enjoying this, no doubt. He was what Betty called the "ideal" employee - Shego thought he just had a stick up his ass most of the time since, well, he was and continued to be an ass. Complaining about Shego's work ethic, trying to one up Shego by coming in early and leaving late, and most of all, he thoroughly enjoyed rubbing it in that the boss paid him more.

Noticing that Shego was ignoring her, Betty leaned herself on Shego's desk. "How did it go yesterday? I got a package from Middleton Daily outlining the basics of the contract."

"It was fine. Kimberly was fine with whatever arrangements we made. That Rockwaller woman annoyed the heck out of me though. She thinks we'll give them sub-par work."

Betty smiled. She knew Shego would pull through when she needed her the most for GJD's PR duties. A Rockwaller woman? The name was familiar. "Rockwaller?"

"Bonnie something or another," replied Shego as she carelessly went through her email.

Betty frowned. "Bonnie Rockwaller and Kimberly Possible are working together?"

"Yes, why?" Shego noticed the frown. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just surprised they're working together. I heard some rumours about both of them and they don't really seem like they're friends to each other. I guess they work well together?"

"You've got to be kidding, Betty. They were at each other's throats yesterday during the meeting."

"Really? Interesting. Why would Bonnie be in this meeting? I thought she was just an editor."

"Apparently the board of trustees or shareholders like her a lot to give her so much power. Anyway, we're going off-topic. Basically, the deal is for me to come up with at least five designs by Monday, we get paid for our efforts, and if they like the designs, we'll arrange another contract."

"I see. Monday is your deadline? That's a bit too soon. Will you manage?"

Shego nodded. "I've had worse deadlines."

"Good. As long as you're fine with it, that's fine with me. If you ever run into issues, let me know and I can give them hell."

"I know you will."

She looked up from her computer. Something that Betty had said intrigued Shego.

"Wait, you said you heard stuff about Kimberly and Bonnie?"

"Yeah, it happened before you moved here. From what I understand, Bonnie and Kimberly went to high school together. They were pretty much rivals, but I guess you also noticed, they seem to barely tolerate each other on the surface... In actuality, I've heard they're decent friends with one another."

"Oh... That's all?" Shego was disappointed. She wanted to know more about Kim.

"Well, apart from that, Kimberly's got quite a reputation."

"So I've heard. I'm just not sure what it is."

Betty raised an eyebrow. "You normally don't give a crap about this stuff, why bother now?"

"Since we'll be, hopefully, working with them in the future, shouldn't you fill me in on things that I should know?" It wasn't exactly a lie, nor was it the truth, but still, Shego was curious.

"I wouldn't think that this is something you should know. You weren't around when it happened, so I think the less you know, the better."

Will gave his two cents before Shego could say that it might just be better if she knew. "Ladies, as a blossoming business, should we not be focusing in the task at hand? The designs?" He glared at Shego.

Shego snapped back with a "You should be focusing on removing that stick up your ass" before Betty gave both of them The Look; it was the "both of you be quiet this instant or I'll not pay you for a month" look.

And then there was silence.

Will went back to whatever books he was balancing while Shego shook her head. Guess I am just a tad intrigued with Kim's life, she thought. I shouldn't pry any further - I did tell her last night that I wouldn't. Her mind drifted back to the kiss and smiled, only to realize that Betty was still at her desk and looking at her funny.

Shego raised both eyebrows and gave Betty a "you're the boss, don't you have things to do?" look. The one-eyed woman got the silent message and finally walked away to her own office, leaving Shego back to her thoughts.

Stop thinking about it. It wasn't even a proper kiss, she mused. Oh, but she kissed me. She's too cute to be real. She smiled and went back to sketching some ideas for the new logo.

* * *

11:45 AM.

Her cell phone beeped.

1 new message.

_Hi Shego,_

_I'm stuck in a meeting with the shareholders and B._

_Won't be able to make lunch._

_Still good for tomorrow?_

_Kim._

She sighed. At least Kim texted her before she left the office. She picked up her phone and typed up a reply:

_Hi Kim, no worries._

_Hope the meeting goes by quickly._

_Good for tomorrow._

_Where do you want to go?_

_S._

She wondered what she should do for lunch now. She didn't want to linger in the office since Will would be around (working through lunch, as usual); if she went out to eat, Betty would probably tease her about going out to meet her mystery woman.

Suddenly, an idea struck.

* * *

Finally, this meeting is over, Kim thought. She looked at her watch. 12:30 PM. Still have time to go to St. Jude's. She got Shego's text message but couldn't reply since she was trying to explain to the shareholders (and Bonnie) why Bonnie shouldn't be promoted to vice president.

The Rockwaller woman ended up storming out of Kim's office and started raising hell in the hallway, while Kim and the shareholders looked on. It was an amusing sight, but the point was made: while Bonnie was a successful businesswoman, her impulsive behaviour might lead the paper to ruin. Kim merely told the group that Bonnie needed to be more mature before they considered her for the role; she told them to bring up the request again in a few months.

Now that she was left alone in her office, she decided to go to St. Jude's and hopefully surprise Shego, if the older woman was there.

* * *

"So tell me exactly why you wanted me to come with you to lunch?" Betty raised an eyebrow as she bit into her sandwich - salami on rye, no crust.

"Can't I treat a _friend_ to lunch every now and then?" said Shego, as she chewed on her grilled cheese sandwich.

Betty dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "Oh, so now we're friends... An hour ago, I doubt you would've called me a friend. Either way, I'm still your boss." She laughed at the dirty look Shego gave her. Before taking another bite out of her sandwich, she added, "Your mystery woman can't meet you today, so you drag me out instead."

Shego blushed a little. Damn Betty. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Noticing that Shego was coy whenever they broached the topic of her mystery woman, Betty asked, "What's she like? I couldn't catch a glimpse of her face that day I walked by."

Shego's face lit up as Betty asked the question. She was smiling excessively; like a schoolgirl in love, Betty thought.

"She's pretty, charming-"

The door slammed open and a blur of red suddenly rushed to their table.

"Hey, sorry, I managed to get out of my meeting..." was said before an audible "Oh" escaped the redhead's lips as she realized Betty was there.

Betty had a grin on her face as Shego looked back and forth between her friend and Kim. Busted. Betty will not let her live this down, she knew. Dating the client? Oh boy.

Kim was biting her lip awkwardly, realizing that her 'surprise' for Shego just became an even bigger surprise. For Betty, that is.

Betty said, with a hint of amusement in her voice, "So, Shego, you and Miss Possible...?"

This was _so_ the drama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Shego... and Kim. What will Betty do?
> 
> Aside: If you haven't noticed, I use both British and American spellings. I draft the chapters with my phone that autocorrects to British spellings and then edit with a word processor that uses American spelling... hence the mix, but I do prefer some words spelt with the British spellings more than the American counterpart (behaviour, humour, metre, centre, etc.) Just felt like mentioning that since autocorrect is the bane of my existence when I'm trying to write up something on the go.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Surprise" by Sean Rowe, and "Surprise, Surprise" by Brett Dennen. I just happened to listen to both while writing. Hmm.


	14. I Hope Tomorrow is Like Today

Kim noticed the panicked look on Shego's face. I'd better step in, she thought.

But Shego recovered and beat her to it.

"We decided to meet for lunch to go over any other miscellaneous details about our proposed contract." Shego paused as she briefly looked at Kim. "In fact, we did not manage to go over what Middleton Daily wants as their new logo."

Good save, Kim thought, as she sat down beside Shego. She cleared her throat. "Yes, we didn't get a chance to go over the requirements for the logo. I'm afraid my colleague had interrupted my conversation with Sheg- Sheridan."

The look of amusement on Betty's face did not fade. In fact, she looked even more entertained that both Kim and Shego were covering for each other. Well, she thought, if they'd rather not tell me, then so be it. Time to get down to business.

And that she did.

What was supposed to be a one hour lunch break turned into two, as Betty hashed over every single little detail of the proposed contract (which Betty had somehow managed to take with her to lunch in a manila envelope). Such a workaholic, Shego mused.

Shego couldn't believe it. Either Betty was an idiot and oblivious to what just happened, or she knew and would hassle Shego about it later. Regardless, she was bored out of her skull until Kim had lightly patted her hand under the table. "Everything will be fine" was what Kim's olive eyes told Shego as the older woman looked at her lunch buddy.

Betty did not miss this brief exchange and kept her smirk in place. She cleared her throat and got up. "Well, I would say this was very productive. Thank you, Miss Possible, for your time. Had I known that Sheg-," she corrected herself, "Sheridan dragged me out to lunch to have a meeting with you, I would have been more prepared."

Kim smiled. "No worries. I understand that we are all busy people." She looked at her watch. "I'll let Wade know about your request for help to set up a network in your office. You will need to speak with him about the costs, but I'm sure he can make arrangements to drop by and get this done later today." She added, "And do not worry about him working on this outside his work hours. He's technically a freelance-for-hire and not a Middleton Daily employee."

Betty nodded. This meeting was productive. Very productive. Not only was Kim helpful with the papers request for a new logo, she gave Betty some contacts that were looking for help in their graphics department. Shego's not going to like that she's going to have to work overtime if these future clients want our services, she thought.

"Anyway, I'll leave you two to..." She smiled. "Talk." Betty looked at her watch. "Sheridan," she said in a sweet tone, "I expect you back in the office by 3."

* * *

Shego stared at the closing door and sighed.

"Betty's nice. Not what I expected when I spoke to her on the phone."

"Not what you expected?" repeated Shego. What did that even mean? Did Kim expect Betty to be an old wrinkly woman who controlled GJD with an iron fist? Maybe she's surprised that Betty is still young... somewhat.

Noticing Shego's confusion, Kim chuckled. "You're jealous."

"What?"

"You totally thought I meant something else, didn't I?" Kim smiled. The look on Shego's face was a mixture of fear and anger. "I meant that I thought she was more of a hardass than this nice boss." She laughed. "I have no idea what you were thinking though."

Shego looked incredulous. "Nice? Betty isn't nice! Did you not hear her earlier?" She mimicked Betty. "'I expect you back in the office by 3,' ha! She should just give me the afternoon off! I have enough on my plate already." But her actual plate was empty. She had finished her sandwich earlier on.

Kim shook her head. Too cute, she thought, she's too cute.

"And why should she give you the rest of the afternoon off?" Kim arched an eyebrow.

"Because she got to meet you and you guys seemed to have hashed it all out. Now it's up to me to come up with designs."

Kim patted Shego's hand. "Of which I'm sure you'll do a great job."

"I hope so."

Kim took a sip of her water. "Sorry. I thought it would've been a good idea to surprise you, but I guess not."

"I'm surprised you even came. I was thinking about not coming here for lunch, but I thought better and decided to drag Betty here and treat her for lunch."

Kim tilted her head in confusion. Do employees normally treat their bosses to lunch?

"Oh, I've known Betty since college. We go way back," Shego explained.

"Ah, that explains why you were so..."

"...rude?" Shego laughed. Part way through the meeting, she had called Betty a "one-eyed Cyclops from hell" because Betty had asked Shego to do eight designs instead of the five. The more designs, the better the chances of having GJ Designs kept on with the paper, Betty had explained while Kim looked on in amusement.

"Yes, she's used to my..." Shego paused, "...abrasiveness."

Kim giggled. "I'm not. I like that aggressive side of you. You're too quiet sometimes."

Shego's cheeks coloured. Quiet because I don't know what to say to you and I can't think straight when I'm around you, she thought.

* * *

"So," Kim said as she downed the rest of her water. "What's the plan for tomorrow?"

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"

"Movies? Gosh, this sounds so cliché for a first date," laughed Kim.

"Is there anything worth watching these days?"

"The Memo Pad?" Kim had seen it once but she didn't mind watching it again if Shego wanted to.

Shego made an odd face. "Too sappy..." She noticed that Kim was smiling. "Unless you like sappy?"

Kim shook her head. "You just don't want me to see you cry."

"I do not!" huffed Shego. "It's a tearjerker movie and I don't like those kinds of movies."

"Really? What kind of movies do you like then?" Kim edged closer to Shego, who reflexively leaned away.

"Action movies," mumbled Shego.

"The kind where the lead gets the girl?" Kim was leaning in dangerously close - her face was an inch away.

Shego swallowed. Kim was never going to make things easy for her, was she? She mumbled a "yeah" before surprising Kim: she leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching.

"Honestly, what do you want to do?"

Shego's heart did a somersault when Kim answered with a "Just spend time with you. It doesn't matter what we do or where we go, as long as we're in each other's company."

Shego smiled and leaned back. Kim pouted a bit since they were farther apart and all Shego could do was laugh. "You're too cute, you know that?"

Kim smiled as she got up. "You are too, you know." Shego laid down money to cover for everyone since Betty had left without paying. She won't let me claim this as a marketing expense, Shego thought, the sly devil.

The duo stepped outside. It was a cool autumn day - not cold enough for a jacket, but still warm enough to walk around in a t-shirt.

"How about we meet here at about 6 and then we'll figure out what to do?" Shego asked and then hesitantly added, "Unless you want me to pick you up?"

"Technically, I could ask you the same questions, but let's not be so chivalrous," the redhead laughed. "Yeah, let's meet here tomorrow at 6 and then figure out what to do."

Shego nodded. "Well, I'm headed that way and you're that way." She pointed east and west; she found it amusing how they both worked in the opposite directions, but St. Jude's was smack in the middle.

Kim thought the same thing and had an impish grin on her face. She leaned in to kiss Shego's cheek and then quickly walked away.

Shego practically skipped her way back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. The first draft for this chapter was longer, but I cut out a part that seemed out of place.
> 
> Will the next chapter cover Kim and Shego's first date? They already seem like a couple though. Hmm... Where will they go? What will they do? (Leave suggestions in the review and maybe I'll consider it since I haven't written the chapter yet. :P)
> 
> Chapter title is from "I Hope Tomorrow is Like Today" by Guster.


	15. Better In Time

She couldn't concentrate after she got back to the office.

What was she thinking?

Honestly, she thought she was moving things too quickly, but Shego was just too adorable.

She tapped her fingers on her desk. Wade had come back from his initial assessment and had informed her that he would be able to set things up on Monday for GJ Designs.

After he had left, a bunch of her writers bombarded her office, concerned this taking the weekend off would wreak havoc on the paper. She had reassured them that it wouldn't and, if anything happened, they could "call her, beep her, if they wanted to reach her." Or they could call Bonnie, but that would be more catastrophic...

So now she was at her desk, staring at the photograph in her hand, and wondering whether it was time to move on.

Time to let go.

Time to start anew.

* * *

Evening came and went. It was all a blur for Shego. She was in such a good mood that it even freaked out Will. He took a jab at her when she walked back in the office at 3 PM, but it didn't faze her. Normally she would say something insulting to his face and have Betty break up the fight by giving them _The Look_ , but no, not today.

Today, she was the happiest person in Middleton.

Possibly on the planet.

* * *

She stared at the mirror. No, not this outfit, she thought. She went to change into a pair of black slacks and a light green dress shirt, topped with a dark green sweater vest. One look in the mirror was all she needed: perfect.

She looked at her watch.

5:30 PM.

Grabbing her purse, she locked up her apartment and decided to walk to St. Jude's. It wasn't that far of a walk, maybe 20 minutes - that would give her 10 minutes to catch her breath and calm herself down. It'd been a while since she had been on a date.

* * *

Kim locked her car and walked down the block.

She could've walked to St. Jude's from her apartment, but she decided to take the car. She actually got to St. Jude's half an hour early, but she drove around the block a bit to calm her nerves. She saw Shego walk towards the cafe during her fourth round, and decided to stop to meet up with her date.

She put her hands in her pockets. Should've brought a jacket with me, she thought. In sharp contrast to the day before, it was a bit chilly this evening, a precursor of the winter weather that would soon come.

St. Jude's was a bit packed for the evening, but Kim noticed that Shego was standing outside near the door.

"Hey," Kim said.

Shego looked baffled. It was only 5:45 PM, or was it? The older woman blinked at Kim, looked down at her watch, and then back at Kim.

"Hi," she said weakly.

Kim giggled mentally. She's nervous.

* * *

"You're early?" she squeaked out. So much for calming down, she thought.

Her redheaded companion nodded. "I, uh, actually drove around the block a couple times... So we're both early."

She nodded in understanding and furrowed her brow. "Where do you want to go? St. Jude's is packed right now."

Kim tilted her head as she thought.

She looks adorable, Shego mused. Her eyes trailed up and down Kim's body in awe. The younger woman was dressed casually in a maroon plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of faded jeans, and Converse sneakers. Shego, on the other hand, began to feel uncomfortable - she was overdressed for the occasion.

As if Kim read her thoughts, the redhead took her hand and muttered a "No big, now I feel underdressed" before giving Shego a wink.

"Where are we going?"

The duo was headed towards Kim's car.

Another wink.

"You'll see soon enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, it's been a while. I know it's a short chapter, but I like to be a tease... ;-) I should be studying but I think I'll just leave this here... heh.
> 
> As for Shego's sense of style... I like sweater vests. :)
> 
> Chapter title is from "Better in Time" by Leona Lewis.


	16. First Date (Part 01)

They drove around for a bit before Kim stopped at a diner.

"Hang tight for a bit," the redhead said. "I'm going to get us dinner."

She was gone before Shego could react.

Dinner?

To go?

From a diner?

On a first date?

* * *

Once the take-out boxes were in the backseat, the duo were then on their way.

"Kim..."

"We're almost there. Just another five minutes."

They arrived in a deserted parking lot of some sort. Adjacent to it was a vast empty field. Were they at a park? It looks deserted, Shego thought.

Kim got out of the car and Shego followed suit. Kim took out what seemed like a few blankets from the trunk and grabbed the take-out boxes. Wordlessly motioning Shego to follow, she briskly walked into the field.

They walked in silence - the only sounds that could be heard were the take-out boxes shuffling as Kim walked further and further.

Then, she stopped.

* * *

"Look." The redhead had put down the blankets and boxes next to a tree and was pointing straight ahead.

Shego had never seen a more beautiful sight.

They were standing on top of a hill. The horizon was illuminated by the city lights below.

"Where are we?"

"Middleton Hills. It overlooks the city."

"It's beautiful," Shego murmured. It had been a while since she actually went outside and explored the city, but she had never come across these hills.

"The sun already set, but you should see what it's like during sunrise and sunset - the colours are gorgeous."

Shego turned her head and noticed that Kim had laid out the blankets and was setting up the food. She walked over and helped out her date.

Kim smiled sheepishly as she handed Shego a box. "Sorry I didn't tell you where we were going."

Shego shook her head. "It's fine, I like surprises. I just never knew a place like this existed. How far out are we from the city?"

Kim pondered for a bit. "Maybe about five miles out? We're sort of in the outskirts - high enough to see the lights below."

"It's a good view. How'd you manage to find a place like this?" Shego laughed. "You take all your first dates up here?"

Kim bit her lip. She murmured a "Not really, no... You're probably the first person I've brought up here."

Shego noticed the change in demeanor and decided not to pursue the subject. Instead, she took a bite out of her lasagna and groaned in pleasure. "This is delicious. You're going to have to tell me where this diner is... I didn't really pay attention about where we were going..." She grinned and added, "Kind of too focused staring at my pretty date."

Kim laughed. "Good save. The diner is called Giovanni's. Mostly Italian food but he also has burgers and stuff." She put down her box of food and shuffled closer to Shego.

Noticing that they were practically sitting shoulder to shoulder, Shego put an arm around the redhead as they sat in silence. It was so peaceful just looking at the horizon of city lights, so peaceful that words couldn't even describe what either woman felt.

Kim finally broke the silence.

"I usually come up here to think."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while, but Merry Christmas (if you celebrate)! :) Happy holidays!
> 
> What exactly does Kim think about up here?
> 
> Chapter title is from "First Date" by blink-182. (Although, I should mention that I wasn't really inspired by any music while writing this chapter...)


	17. First Date (Part 02)

"I usually come up here to think."

Shego nodded her head in acknowledgement. Shego figured it'd be best not to ask Kim any questions to let the redhead reveal as much as she wanted.

"It's not about work... Just things I've done in the past and things that people have done to me." Kim shifted in their embrace and leaned her head on Shego's shoulder. "Things that I'm not necessarily proud of... Things that make people talk and say that I have some sort of 'reputation.' Things that I'm sure your brothers heard about the other day-"

"Shh, Kim," whispered Shego. "Don't force yourself to tell me if you don't want to. Like I said before, I like you just the way you are right now. What's done in the past is done - it's made you who you are and I can't change that."

Kim took Shego's hands in hers and squeezed them lightly before whispering, "Thanks."

Shego took the opportunity to kiss the top of Kim's head. "Besides, I like it when the woman I'm dating remains a bit mysterious, heh."

Kim chuckled. "Me too." She paused. "Why did you not stay in Go City? Compared to Middleton, Go City seems to be a better place to be."

Shego tilted her head in thought and only replied with a, "Like you, there are some things that have made me who I am, I'm not necessarily proud of the poor judgments and decisions I've made in the past, but..." She gestured with her free hand to herself. "...it's who I am."

Kim nodded. "Fair answer." She laughed. "It's like we're not telling each other things on purpose..."

"...Because we're still haunted by them," mused Shego. "Sort of, I guess."

Kim nodded, but ended up almost rubbing her face onto Shego's shoulder, causing the older woman to chuckle.

Embarrassed, Kim lifted her head and sat back in the upright position, with Shego's arm still wrapped around her shoulder. "You're not offended, right?"

"About you not telling me much about your past?" Shego shook her head. "No, I get it. You forget that I haven't said much about myself either. It's fine."

Kim smiled. "I'm glad. I mean, there's stuff you could look up about me if you really wanted to-"

"Kim, Kim, Kim, no. I wouldn't do that even if you trust me." Shego shook her head. "It would still feel like I was violating your privacy, digging deep just to find something that you yourself could tell me if you ever want to." She took Kim both shoulders now and looked her in the eye. "I like you just the way you are, right here, right now. Don't ever change that."

Kim stared right at Shego. "Only if you promise me the same thing."

"I promise."

Kim smiled as she used both hands to cup Shego's face and gave her date a soft kiss on the lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy. Very fluffy...
> 
> Chapter title is from "First Date" by blink-182.


	18. Sparks Bright As Ice

Their kiss was soft, sweet, and slow. Shego had never had such a kiss - the ones she experienced in the past had been quick, hurried. Nothing like how Kim was kissing her. It was passionate, yet gentle.

For Kim, the kiss was also different than the ones she had before. It was as if she could genuinely feel how much Shego cared about her through the brushing of their lips.

They pulled apart from each other slowly when it was over, and said nothing.

Perhaps they didn't want to ruin the moment, or they just didn't feel like talking. Kim leaned back onto Shego, who was now sitting against the tree, and pulled up a blanket to cover her feet. It was beginning to get a bit breezy, but neither wanted to leave.

They stayed that way for about another hour, simply just looking out at the horizon, Shego occasionally kissing the top of Kim's head, and Kim gently squeezing her companion's hand.

Finally, it was too cold for both of them to stay any longer, so they quietly packed up their things and headed back to Kim's car.

* * *

Kim pulled out her phone to look at the time. "It's late... Oh, wow, it's already 11 o'clock. Where's your apartment?"

"It's out of your way, Kim, you can just drop me off in front of St. Jude's and I'll walk back over," replied Shego as she strapped herself in the passenger seat.

"No, no, I insist!" Kim retorted. "It's cold outside and I don't want you getting sick on the way home."

Shego shrugged. "Sure, that works. I don't think you won't like me sick... My voice sounds all nasally and I would rather you not witness the sight of me blowing my nose every minute."

"See, now you just want me to see you like that. I think you'd look really cute while sick." Kim pulled out of the parking lot and laughed. "That sounded wrong, but you know what I mean... I think."

Shego smiled. "I do."

"Well, I could always come over and nurse you back to health. I make a mean chicken noodle soup that'll guarantee you'll recover quickly."

"That sounds lovely, maybe you should just make me walk back home," joked Shego.

Kim turned to look at her companion and winked. She made a left on the street where St. Jude's was located. "So where do I turn?"

"Take the next left and then hang right. The building will be up ahead."

* * *

"Well, here we are." Kim had parked on the curb and Shego still hadn't really moved from her seat.

The older woman cleared her throat. "Tonight was great. Just perfect." She awkwardly fidgeted, as if she was figuring out what to do next before leaning over to kiss Kim on the cheek.

Luckily for Kim, she realized what Shego intended to do and turned her cheek so that her lips came into contact with Shego's. It caught Shego off-guard, but, like before, the kiss was slow and gentle. They pulled away quickly after, a blush creeping up on Kim's face as she cleared her throat and looked Shego in the eye. "I had a good time too... We should do this again some time."

Shego smiled. "Yeah, we should. Anyway..." She fumbled with the door lock and lightly kissed Kim's cheek. "I'll see you on Monday. Got designs that to do that won't draw themselves."

"Don't work too hard on them. I can give Bonnie hell about her attitude any time, you know."

Shego laughed. "It's not her I'm worried about. I just don't want to disappoint you."

"Aren't you sweet? I'm sure whatever designs you show us will be amazing."

Shego blushed. "Well, good night. Drive safe." She awkwardly stumbled out of Kim's car and waited for Kim to wave, pull out and drive back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year.
> 
> Chapter title is from "In The Dark (feat. Christian Burns)" by Tiesto.


	19. Love, Where Is Your Fire?

Sunday came and went, but Shego managed to get seven different logos done.

By the time she got to the office on Monday, she found a post-it note on her desk. "We need to talk. -B"

* * *

She heard Shego's soft knock on the door. "Come in."

Her graphic designer hesitantly entered the office before asking, "What's up?" with a straight face.

"Shego, sit." The pale woman sat. "I'm more than certain you will take this the wrong way, but I need you to understand that you cannot let your relationship with Miss Possible to affect your work."

Shego's face remained impassive. Strange, she thought, I figured she would at least deny the relationship.

"Shego, I've known you since college... I know you have an amazing work ethic but..."

"... But when matters of the heart are involved, I simply screw things up, right?" finished Shego.

"It wasn't your fault." She rubbed her temples. She did not want to have this talk here, especially since Will could probably hear every word being exchanged in her small office.

"Since when is anything not my fault?" Shego raised her voice slightly. She had expected this talk from Betty, but not like this. She didn't want to be reminded of the past.

Betty took Shego's hands in hers and looked at her friend in the eye. "Look, I didn't mean for this conversation to remind you of the past. All I wanted to do is to tell you to be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."

"You say that because you genuinely care about the business, not me."

"Shego," Betty tightened her grip on Shego's hands, "you are the business. Without you, Will and I would be nothing. You're the star of all this."

"You could hire someone else if I screw things up."

"But they wouldn't be you. Don't you get it? I care about you, I do. Sometimes I'm not good at showing it, but you're a friend I would never ever want to lose. Sure, I'm a bitch most of the time, but remember our college days? The days where I'd be so reckless and you'd always drag my sorry ass back home because you cared? Well, I'm just returning the favour."

"You returned the favour already by giving me a job after I left Go City. That's plenty enough since I had nothing after what happened." Shego tried pulling away but Betty wouldn't let go.

"Shego, you listen to me, you did more than just make sure that I got home after many nights' worth of partying. You cared about my well-being, unlike the rest of my family. Hell, I could even say you're family by this point. All the things I've done for you since you moved here cannot compare to those times you got me out of the bar... I wouldn't know what would have happened to me if I didn't stop drinking and partying. You set me straight. And now I want to make sure you don't get hurt... again."

Shego sighed and stared down at her hands. "It's kind of hard to make that guarantee. I like her a lot, Betty."

Betty eased her grip. "I know you do, but you do know of her reputation?"

"What happened in the past stays in the past. That's what I told her. I don't want to know - I'll only just judge her and I don't want that. A relationship is built on trust, Betty. I don't want to be skeptical..."

"It's worth reading, though. She got a lot of bad press from people who have power in this city..."

Shego held up a hand. "I don't want to hear it. If she's comfortable with sharing, then I'll find everything out." She paused and added, "From her."

Betty sighed. "Just looking out for you, that's all."

"I know." Shego got up. "I'm heading over to the Middleton Daily at 2 o'clock. I've already sent you a copy of the designs." She headed for the door before looking back and softly saying, "Thanks, Bets, you're a true friend."

Betty slumped back in her chair. This wasn't how she wanted their talk to be, but Shego understood her point: don't get too close to the flames, or else you'll be burned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay, been busy with school.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Love, Where Is Your Fire?" by Brooke Fraser.


	20. Smile

By two o'clock, Shego and Betty were sitting in a spacious meeting room in the west wing of the Middleton Daily. Betty had skimmed through the designs before their meeting and had liked what she saw. She wasn't too sure about Bonnie's reaction, but was certain that Kim would like them.

Shego sipped on her coffee. The conversation from earlier was on her mind. She actively chose to move on from the past, yet Betty pretty much reminded her that she would probably never escape the past. The ghosts will always haunt her, whether she liked it or not. So what's to say that the present won't do the same to her?

Kim's not like that, she thought. Kim's not like her.

A loud entrance by none other than Bonnie Rockwaller broke whatever silence there was in the meeting room.

"Look, Kim, I'm telling you, that column by Monique shouldn't be there! It just clashes with the fall fashion insert that'll be included in Friday's paper!"

"B, can we talk about this later? We have to meet with Sheridan and Betty right now."

"Fine, but I'm just saying, you can't clash fall chic with Club Banana yoga attire!" huffed Bonnie.

"We're running a paper, not a fashion magazine, Bonnie. We don't have to be that fashion-conscious."

The look that Bonnie gave Kim could've curdled milk, but they were rudely interrupted when Betty cleared her throat.

"Ladies, if you could please continue this another time?" the oldest woman asked. She saw Shego stifle a chuckle in the corner of her eye, before continuing. "Sheg-Sheridan has managed to complete the designs you asked for." She pushed a purple folder toward the two executives.

Upon accepting the folder, Kim looked up at Shego and smiled. The action did not go unnoticed by both Betty and Bonnie, both of whom raised an eyebrow.

"As you go through these, keep in mind that we've come up on our end of the bargain," reminded Betty. She did not want this opportunity to go to waste. If GJ Designs could get more clients, it would definitely help business and let them become more well-known to other publishers.

The two executives were silent as they flipped through the designs. Bonnie had brought a notepad with her and scribbled something down as they look at each design. Kim murmured something to Bonnie as they reached the end. Bonnie nodded and then spoke.

"We really like your work."

Betty let out a sigh of relief. She looked at Shego, who remained silent for most of the meeting. Her friend was staring at the table and playing with her hands.

"Good, I suppose we will be commissioned a new or updated contract?"

Kim nodded. "Yes, we will definitely keep you on. These are wonderful." She looked at Shego and smiled.

Bonnie put out her hand. "Welcome on board, GJ Designs. We are definitely looking forward to your future work."

Betty took Bonnie's hand and firmly shook it. "I trust the contract will be drawn up effective immediately."

Bonnie nodded. "Yes, you'll get it by tomorrow and if you have any questions, feel free to call me or Kim directly." She withdrew two business cards from her blazer pocket and handed them to Betty. "These are our direct phone lines. We can even set up a office for Sheridan if she wants to do her work here, to reduce travel time and all." She looked at Shego, who seemed surprise at the gesture.

"We'll see if that will be necessary in the future," replied Betty. She noted the slight disappointment in Kim's face, but continued on. "At the moment, we would like to know what Middleton Daily needs from us, and we'll proceed from there."

"Agreed, let's not get ahead of ourselves," murmured Kim. Her gaze was fixated on Shego. She found it odd that her girlfriend - now that they were dating, it was fully plausible that Shego was her girlfriend, wasn't she? - had not said much during the meeting. In fact, it seemed like she didn't want to be there.

"Well then, we'll leave these preliminary designs with you and we'll be in touch." Betty got up, and Shego followed suit.

Bonnie led them out of the meeting room and even shook both of their hands. "Great, I'll make sure you'll get the contract tomorrow." She walked away leaving Kim with the guests and proceeded barking out orders for Middleton Daily's legal team to draw up another contract.

Betty amusedly turned to Kim and commented, "Miss Rockwaller is quite the character."

Kim laughed. "She is. She's got some sass but she helps to get everything done on time." She cleared her throat. "Well, let me walk you out."

The group proceeded out to the main entrance when Betty suddenly looked at her watch and said, "Oh! I have to go for teleconference with another design firm. Sheg-Sheridan, I'll leave first. I'll see you back at the office!" She winked at Kim and ran out the door.

"Huh, wonder what that was about," murmured Kim. She turned to Shego. "You've been awfully quiet today."

Shego pursed her lips. "Yeah, I tend to leave Betty to do all the business work."

"So... Are you free tonight? Want to grab dinner?"

Shego blinked. "Uh, yeah, sure. Where do you want to go?"

"Do you like tacos?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been pretty mean, haven't it? To be at twenty chapters and not even explain what went wrong with both Kim and Shego's prior relationships... yeah, I'm pretty cruel, I guess. =P
> 
> Chapter title is from "Smile" by b4-4.


	21. Slow Burn

"Unbelievable!" exclaimed Shego. "When you said tacos, I didn't expect this!" She gestured at the grande sized naco that was placed in front of her.

Kim laughed.

They had gone to Bueno Nacho for dinner at Kim's behest, and it was turning into one of those 'strange' date nights that Shego had never experienced before.

"I get the concept of the taco... And nachos... But nacos? What the hell!"

"I'm glad you're being yourself right now."

Shego gave Kim a bewildered look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kim shrugged. "It seemed like you didn't want to be at the meeting today... And it sure seemed like you were trying to avoid any eye contact." She took a bite out of her naco and swallowed before continuing. "With me."

Shego slumped back into her chair. "That... That..." She sighed and tossed her hands in the air. "Look, that wasn't what I intended, but Betty gave me a 'talk' before the meeting. About," she gestured between her and Kim, " _us_."

"Oh."

"She knows."

"And I bet she told you not to mix out personal lives with work, right?"

Shego nodded. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok, I understand," replied Kim. She reached for Shego's hand. "Look, I understand Betty's concern. To be honest, I'm not sure how we can't not mix our personal and working lives... Given that I'm probably going to see you a lot more now."

"If people find out... It won't be pretty."

It definitely won't, Kim thought. Immediately, she came to a decision. "I will have Bonnie go to you with all the design requests then. I'll have to remove myself from the process if we want to stay on the safe side."

"You want me to work with _Bonnie_?"

"She may come off as a bit headstrong, but she knows what she's doing... Most of the time."

Shego raised an eyebrow.

"Look, the worst case scenario is having people find out about us and saying that our working relationship is unethical. Frankly, I don't care if my staff members know, but I'm afraid I do have enemies in the publishing industry. If they catch wind of this, they might either try to bring both Middleton Daily and GJ Designs down, or give you and Betty unwanted press."

"I'm sure Betty would love that. She just wants us to be more popular... But I sort of get your point." Shego took a sip of her soda. " _Enemies_?"

Kim bit her lip. Might as well get this over with. "My ex is a well-known media mogul... Well, I guess you can call him that."

* * *

_Him._

_Him._

_Wait, what?_

Shego let that point simmer before speaking.

"I see."

Kim noticed that Shego was trying to remain nonchalant, but could see that the older woman was coming to grips with the fact that her ex was, well, male. Big shock? Yeah, probably not what one would expect from someone who surfed the 'girl-seeking-girl' personal ads...

Perhaps this wasn't a good time to tell her, Kim thought. This is hardly an appropriate place to have this conversation.

They both ate in silence for another fifteen minutes before Kim spoke again.

Her voice was almost garbled, but still soft, "I understand if that makes you doubt-"

Shego shook her head. "No, I don't doubt 'us'. It just came as a bit of a surprise, is all. I admit, not that many women surf dating sites after being in a relationship with a guy." She took a sip of her soda. "I think." She picked up a nacho and dunked it in cheese. "It's just... I don't want this to be an experiment for you..."

"I wouldn't do that to you!" exclaimed Kim. The other Bueno Nacho patrons looked toward their booth, and Kim lowered her voice. "Look, if you're worried that I'm just around to fool around, you're wrong." She took the nacho from Shego and ate it. "Besides, I've gone out with other women before. Didn't really click with any of them."

"And we _click_?" Shego raised an eyebrow when Kim stole her nacho, but raised the other when the redhead said that they 'clicked'.

"Well, I like you for who you are, and you're not trying to take advantage of my unwanted popularity."

Kim was rather blunt, Shego found. She didn't want to pursue the topic any farther when she came to a realization. "Did we just have our first argument?"

Kim chuckled. "Sort of? Not really, but if someone asked about my preferences, I just go with the flow, to be honest. I hope that won't cause any problems."

Shego waved her hand. "It's fine, I've gone out with men too." She winked. "Nothing serious, though."

Kim smiled. It didn't take much for them to argue about something, but not much to resolve whatever tension they had between them. Whether this would cause further imbalance between them could only be determined in the future.

Kim looked at her watch. They were done eating and it was only eight o'clock. "Do you have a long day tomorrow?"

"Don't think so," replied Shego as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Why?"

"Feel like taking a walk?"

"To burn off all the calories you made me ingest?" snorted Shego.

"Hey! You came willingly..."

"Only to see a cutie like you eat greasy food like this. Honestly, why do you even like this stuff?"

Kim looked sullen for a brief moment. "It was Ron's favourite place." Noting Shego's confusion with the name, she added, "My friend who owned the paper before me." Shego nodded. "I guess hanging with him made me eventually like the grease. Somewhat."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I just miss his cheerfulness, that's all. Lately it's just been work, work, and more work. But since I met you, you've made me happier than I was a year ago."

"Can I ask you something, Kim?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Betty wanted to tell me about the circumstances of your 'reputation', but I didn't want to hear any of it. It has to do with your ex, right? Just give me a 'yes' or 'no', you don't have to explain."

Kim nodded. "I can tell you if you want-"

Shego shook her head, got up, and offered her hand. "Come on, let's go for that walk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shego and nacos... A messy combination?
> 
> Been getting a lot of subscription updates, but very little reviews. :( Let me know what you think of the story so far! Your opinions might change the course of the story!
> 
> Chapter title is from "Slow Burn" by Atreyu.


	22. Twilight Galaxy

They strolled through the park hand-in-hand, only stopping every now and then to comment on how the stars shone brightly on this cool autumn night.

After walking around, they stopped to sit on a park bench. Shego draped an arm over Kim's shoulder, in part wanting to keep the physical contact there, and to keep the younger woman warm. Kim was staring at the sky, as if she was a child trying to understand the wonders of the universe.

"You ever think of life that exists outside of our galaxy?"

Shego laughed. "Like aliens? UFOs?"

"Something like that."

"Sometimes, I guess, but only when I think some higher power is screwing my life over. Does that still count as existing outside our galaxy?"

Kim looked at Shego with an amused look on her face. "Really? Just heavenly beings wanting to screw you over? I guess it's plausible to think they exist outside our galaxy... Being micro-managed by aliens is a bit freaky... Anyway... What would _this_ classify as?" She leaned into Shego and practically snuggled against the older woman.

Shego smirked and put an arm around the redhead. "Some higher power is in a good mood and giving both of us a break? He, or She, must love us right now."

Kim murmured against Shego's neck, "Damn right."

Shego laughed and kissed the top of Kim's head. "So, we're, like, official now?"

Kim let go and tilted her head to the side. "You don't think so?"

"I do think so. It's just that some relationships have the whole 'Will you be my girlfriend?' moment, and some don't... It just makes me wonder when is a good time to ask, or to not ask at all."

The look on Kim's face was adorable. It was evident that she was thinking hard about what Shego had said, and was making a bunch of strange faces as she progressed from thought to thought. "Well," she said, "we've just started spending more time together... Been on a bunch of lunch dates, one 'real' date, and I'm not sure what this evening classify as... Seeing as how we're already comfortable with each other..."

Shego nodded. "Heck, why don't we _not_ worry about this? I mean, I really like you and I'm certain you feel the same way. We enjoy each other's company, so yeah, we're together..."

Kim smiled. "That, we are." She leaned in to kiss Shego.

They stayed snuggled for a bit longer before heading back to St. Jude's. It was smack in the middle between their apartments, so it had become their common meeting and departure point.

"Well, good night," said Shego.

"Later, girlfriend," replied Kim as she headed off in the direction of her apartment.

They both giggled into the night like it was something strange, calling each other their girlfriend. It was a good kind of strange - the feeling was mutual and it gave them both a warm fuzzy feeling.

* * *

Shego entered the office with three coffees in hand. She was in a good mood, so good that Will was at a loss for words when she gave him his coffee. Normally, if he asked for coffee, Shego would've told him to suck it and go get his own. She very rarely got Betty coffee too, so this made him wonder whether she was taking personality-changing drugs, or that she got laid.

He was thinking it was the former. Shego never really talked about her personal life, so Will thought it wasn't possible for someone to like, let alone sleep with, the cranky woman.

Of course, they very rarely talked about their personal lives, so it was possible for Shego to have a lover on the side. But, it logically made sense that she didn't get laid. She wasn't exhibiting the sure signs of 'glowing' after coitus, but what did he know? All these things he had only read about. Trivial things like relationships didn't matter to him - he was just focused with his work, and he was very good at his job.

So why did he care that Shego was in a good mood? It was just an interesting change, probably more bearable than the crankiness she exhibited every morning when she was, well, cranky.

Interesting, he thought. I will catalogue this as one of her 'good' days.

He went back to looking over the new contract with Middleton Daily. Numbers needed to be balanced, things to be audited, and he should continue to observe his colleagues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to think Will is a jerk 99% of the time, but right now I'm leaning towards having him be more of the silent, analytical, "speak unless provoked" type. Out of the three at GJD, he's the most rational and kind of works in the background.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Twilight Galaxy" by Metric.


	23. Do What You Want

Bonnie had not missed any of the signs. Judging by how Kim seemed elated every time she saw Sheridan, Bonnie knew that the redhead was either crushing really badly, or that the two were trying to keep their relationship under wraps.

The subsequent meetings after the preliminary designs were viewed, along with Kim's sudden removal of her supervision over the entire process, seemed to support Bonnie's suspicions. Bonnie was glad Kim met someone new, but she wasn't too sure it would be wise that she would be left with most of the control over this 'logo revitalization' project. Sure, power and authority were what she strived for, but Middleton Daily stood to represent the values and heart of the city.

Bonnie, much to her dismay, was probably not representative of a Middleton city girl - Kim was. Bonnie knew the Rockwallers weren't well-liked, mostly since they were arrogant and flaunted their wealth when they could, unlike the Possibles who were modest and probably didn't have a mean bone in their bodies. Rather than feeling threatened by the Possibles' popularity, it probably surprised a lot of people that she ended up working for, and with, Kim.

As kids, they were fairly close until they all had to 'grow up' and began to drift after junior high. Whether it was the unspoken social norms that had to be blamed, or the fact that appearances needed to be kept and maintained, Bonnie and Kim never really saw eye-to-eye during their teenage years. Sure, Bonnie had a mean streak and constantly teased Kim and Ron, but it only made the redhead stronger and more determined to prove Bonnie wrong.

And that she did. To Bonnie, Kim had grown into a remarkable young woman, who had unfortunately been surrounded by too much grief in the past few years, that donned a mask of self-confidence that would have otherwise been shattered if she wasn't strong enough.

Sure, Bonnie gave her hell once in a while, but it wasn't on a personal level, strictly business. Although they didn't hang out or get together outside of work, they had an unspoken understanding of each other, perhaps due to the fact that they exchanged many quips at each other since high school.

The fact that the shareholders favoured Bonnie over Kim didn't sit well with Bonnie. It was true that she had a sharp business sense, but needed to be grounded when it came to planning out long-term goals for the company. Unknown to Kim, she had been given offers to work with other publishing, not necessarily newspaper, companies. All of these offers were turned down; Bonnie would never admit that she would rather stay loyal to Kim, so she made up excuses to the opposing companies by saying that their offers weren't enough and made outrageous demands for lavish benefits.

Had the shareholders known of any of these offers, they would automatically promote her. It was something she didn't want. Kim had always taken the shareholders' criticisms (that verged on insults) in stride, never showing signs of weakness to them. While they were keen on replacing Kim, Bonnie felt that no one held Middleton Daily together like the redhead. Kim didn't treat everyone differently based on their social status or ranking in the company, she treated everyone as a friend. Yet, she was so plagued by "scandals" in the past year that Bonnie understood the shareholders' motivations for replacing the CEO.

Who would be next in line? Bonnie. While reigning over the paper and having her say over everything would give her ultimate control, it probably wouldn't feel right.

But, what kind of job would really make her feel 'right'?

Bonnie smiled. When did I start entertaining such thoughts? Working with Kim must be making me soft.

She blinked and looked at the occupants of today's meeting. Betty and Sheridan were present today, along with some guy who looked like that Star Trek character, Smock or something. He was their accountant of some sort and was present to look over wherever monetary sections were drawn up in the contract.

Kim was talking to them about something to do with Wade helping them out whenever they needed tech support. Bonnie turned her gaze to Sheridan; the pale woman was staring at the desk again. It seemed like that was all she did during these group meetings. When pulled aside by Kim to have a 'chat', Bonnie could see the change in demeanour for both of them: they genuinely looked happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Insight into Bonnie's perspective of things... Sort of conflicting feelings for her...
> 
> Chapter title is from "Do What You Want" by Guster.


	24. Be Careful

"Hey, K." Bonnie was leaning against Kim's office door.

Kim looked up from her paperwork, surprised that Bonnie was there. "What's up?"

"I think we should have a talk." Bonnie waltzed into the office and sat herself down on a chair.

Kim pushed aside her papers and made a mental note of where she was to go back later. "Ok, sure, what's on your mind?"

Bonnie glanced at the door and got up to close it. Kim deserved at least some privacy with what was going to be discussed next.

"So, you and Sheridan, eh?" Bonnie felt that she should be blunt about it, but she wasn't in the mood.

Kim blinked yet her face remained impassive. She tilted her head to the side, as if confused.

"You guys are going out, right?" clarified Bonnie.

Kim shrugged. "I don't understand why you're making this your business."

"Just looking out for you."

Kim blinked. Very rarely did Bonnie show her any concern, but she understood where the concern was coming from. "Bonnie, I appreciate you being concerned, but everything's fine."

Bonnie crossed her arms. "How can you be certain? Are you sure that Sheridan or GJ Designs have not had any contact with-"

"Bonnie, please," Kim raised a hand to stop Bonnie from continuing any further.

Bonnie bit her lip. Seems like Kim still hasn't really gotten over it, she thought. "Look, Kim, I get the fact that you're probably still hurt about what was said and done, but-"

"I should learn to move on and be wary of the people I meet, I know," sighed Kim. "You don't think it hasn't crossed my mind that Betty or Sheridan have some ulterior motive? You don't think I've thought about the possibility that GJ Designs has had some sort of contact with his company?" She spat out the 'his' with such venom that it genuinely scared Bonnie. The brunette knew her coworker and friend was still recovering emotionally, but to harbour so much animosity towards an ex was borderline freaky.

Kim sighed as she rubbed her temples. "Bonnie, I appreciate the concern, I do, but I just can't keep going on thinking that everyone is out there to hurt me. I just can't." Kim's shoulders sagged a bit as she looked Bonnie in the eye before being brutally honest to her friend. "If I keep living like that, I might as well just hand the paper over to you. It's not that I don't find you a suitable replacement, it's just I owe it to Ron to keep it running until Hana is finished culinary school. So give or take another two years until I finally snap and go crazy." She chuckled feebly.

To Bonnie, seeing Kim so defeated did not sit well with her. "K, don't force this on yourself. I know I'm the favourite candidate to be your replacement, but you need to take care of yourself. You've been working at full steam since Ron passed away and with the whole ex-sitch. I haven't seen you take any days off, and I'm not really counting the weekends here."

She looked at her friend and saw how tired the redhead was. While on the surface Kim maintained her cheerful disposition, very rarely did she let anyone see this 'tired' side of hers. Bonnie was one of the few, along with her family and Wade. She didn't want to scare off Sheridan by suddenly being gloomy, but she did feel compelled to at least tell her girlfriend about what had happened. Maybe Bonnie was giving her an opportunity to do so.

"So you're suggesting I take a vacation?" the redhead asked.

"Not now since it's almost Thanksgiving, but maybe an extended Christmas holiday?" suggested Bonnie.

"Don't you have to go to Triple S' island during Christmas?"

Bonnie shook her head. "Not this year, we're having the festivities at my parents' house. Can you imagine the Seniors getting along with my nutcase family? It's going to be hell... Which gives me an excuse to come here to escape the madness."

Kim laughed. Bonnie was married to Señor Senior Jr., heir to one of the largest shipping and logistics companies in the country. Kim was partially baffled by the fact that Bonnie decided to remain working after getting married, whereas she could've just stayed home with all the money that could by several small islands off the coast of Hawaii. Working with Kim did not really hinder her husband's reputation, mostly because Señor Senior Senior was at odds with Lipsky International, Inc. In fact, it strengthened Kim's reputation to have such a family supporting her.

Yet, in the recesses of Kim's mind lay the thought that, should Bonnie become an adversary, she might as well pack and move away from Middleton. She shook those thoughts from her head and concentrated at the task at hand.

"I'll think about it, ok?"

"You deserve some time off."

"I know, but let's focus on the Thanksgiving edition first."

"Sure," Bonnie relaxed a bit. "What are your plans for Thanksgiving this year?"

"My parents probably want me to go home, I think. My brothers told me they'll be flying in next week since they managed to get some time off."

"That's good. I'm going over to the Seniors' island... Probably going to catch some rays while I still can." Bonnie smirked. "Are you taking Sheridan with you?"

Kim was caught off-guard by the question. It hadn't crossed her mind to spend Thanksgiving with Shego since she was too busy with work and hadn't really told her family she was seeing someone new. Their dates were simple: go out to grab a bite and then walk around until it was time to go home. The weekends were a bit different - sometimes they would catch a movie or go up to the Middleton Hills and have a picnic.

Noting the surprised look on the redhead's face, Bonnie stated the obvious, "You didn't think about it, did you? I'm sure she'd be fine with whatever you do."

"To be honest, we haven't done much outside of going on dates, if you can call them that. And my family doesn't know about her yet."

"Time for you to think about breaking the news to them then," replied Bonnie as she got up. "I'll leave you to your work then." As she gripped the doorknob, she turned and said before stepping out, "For what it's worth, I honestly think you two are good together."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonnie cares. She's a softie. =)
> 
> Chapter title is from "Be Careful" by Dolores O'Riordan.
> 
> p.s. The new Cranberries' album, Roses, is pretty good.


	25. Little Talks

"Shego?"

"Hmm, what's up?" mumbled Shego sleepily. They were at Kim's apartment for their weekly Friday "Date Night" watching movies. Kim had selected a rather boring documentary this evening and Shego had dozed off on Kim's couch.

"What are your plans for next Sunday?"

Rubbing her eyes, Shego sat up and thought out loud. "I don't have any deadlines next week, unless Bonnie springs something on me... Betty's got me doing some other things, but no deadlines... I'm free Sunday. Why?"

"It's Thanksgiving..." trailed Kim. She wasn't really sure how to broach the "do you want to meet my parents" talk, but she might as well get this over with.

"Oh," Shego shrugged. "My family's all over the place right now and I'm pretty sure my parents haven't really celebrated since the twins finished high school. Did you want to do something?"

"Well, my family usually does something and I'm pretty sure they want me home this year..."

Shego blinked. She knew very well where this conversation was headed. She patted Kim's hand. "Do you want me to be there? I mean..."

"I just don't want you to be uncomfortable. My dad can be a bit scary... Especially to people I date, or who he thinks I'm dating..." Kim sighed. "I know it's a bit of a stretch to ask you to come since we've only been dating for almost three months, but-"

"If can't be that bad, can it? I'm sure they'd just ask me questions about what I do and whether I'm self-sufficient... All to make sure you're not going out with a charming scumbag or something."

"About that..."

Shego's cell phone suddenly rang. The older woman gave Kim an apologetic look for cutting the redhead off mid-sentence. "Hey Wegos, what's up? ... Thanksgiving? Yeah, Kim asked me- oh wait, what? Dr. Possible asked you to what?" She covered the phone and said to Kim, "Apparently your dad asked my brothers to join in on Thanksgiving too."

Kim smiled. "That sounds like dad... My parents are pretty welcoming, especially during the holidays."

Shego nodded and spoke into the phone. "Yeah, ok, I guess I'll see you there then. Yeah, yeah, I'll tell her you guys said hi. 'Later."

Shego ran a hand through her hair. "Well, that was weird. You'll have me and my crazy brothers there."

"So you're coming?"

"Don't worry about me, Kim. I mean, your parents do have a right to know who you're seeing. I just hope my brothers won't drive your family crazy... Especially when someone mentions rockets, gadgets, and astrophysics."

"My brothers are the same, and they'll be home too."

"Double the trouble then," laughed Shego. She noticed the look of concern on her girlfriend's face. "Hey." She put an arm around Kim and said, "Don't worry, I won't feel uncomfortable around them; I'll just be myself, and we'll see how it goes from there, ok?"

Kim nodded and gave Shego a hug. "Thanks, Shego."

Shego gave Kim a kiss on the cheek. "Don't sweat it, I'm sure everything'll be fine." She looked at her watch. "I should get going, it's getting a bit late... I'm sorry feel asleep..."

Kim smiled. "You're cute when you sleep, you know that?"

Shego grinned. "Is that why you didn't wake me up until after the documentary was over? So you can just ogle at your cute girlfriend?"

Kim laughed. "In part, yes... But you just looked so peaceful that I didn't want to disturb you. You know you can always just sleep here if you don't want to go back home... It kind of sucks that we live on opposite ends of the area."

"Yeah, I know," replied Shego. She knew Kim's request was a fairly innocent one, but it might be too big of a step for both of them if they decided to have sleepovers. Soon there'd be the whole ordeal of moving in or living together - things Shego didn't want to deal with at the moment. "It's ok for today, it's not too bad outside, so I can still get home quickly since there's probably very little traffic."

"Ok." Kim walked with Shego to the door. "Call me when you get home, ok?" She kissed Shego lightly on the lips and opened the door.

"Will do." Shego put on her coat and added, "I'm sure next Sunday will be fine, don't worry too much about it."

* * *

Immediately after Shego left, Kim's phone started ringing.

"Hi mom," said Kim as she answered the call.

"Kimmie, how are you?"

"I've been good... Just a bit busy with work, I guess."

"Don't overwork yourself, Kim... You should take a vacation at some point..."

"Yeah, Bonnie's said the same thing, actually."

"You know we're just looking out for you."

"I know," sighed Kim. "Are you calling about Thanksgiving?"

"Yes, your father and I wanted to know if you'll be coming this year."

Kim shrugged, knowing that her mom couldn't see her but felt the need to carry out the gesture anyway. "Yes... I am..."

Noticing her daughter's hesitation, Anne Possible quickly replied with a "If you don't want to-"

"I do..." Kim trailed off. "Is it ok if I bring someone with me?"

"Sure, honey, but you know what your father will be like once he finds out."

"Don't worry, dad invited her brothers too."

"Oh, those twin research assistants?" Kim waited for a second for her mom to put the pieces together. "...Their sister?"

"Yes... I met her brothers after I met her... And they told me they're working with dad on some new projects."

"I see. Well, Kimmie, you know your father and I will always support you. I'm just concerned about whether or not your father will give-"

"-Sheridan-"

"...Sheridan a hard time. With what happened in the past, we both don't want to see you hurt again."

"Mom, I know you and dad are skeptical right now, but I can assure you Sheridan doesn't have any ill intentions."

"I know that, Kimmie, but your father might think otherwise... I'm just a bit surprised that he managed to invite her brothers without knowing about their sister."

"You're not the only one who's surprised... Sheridan found out about it today from her brothers, shortly after I asked her to come along..."

"I'm sure this will be one eventful Thanksgiving dinner," Anne commented. "Especially since Jim and Tim will be home too."

"Double the twins, I know," laughed Kim. "I'm sure Walter and Wallace will have lots to talk about with Jim and Tim."

"I'm certain that's the case," replied Anne. "Kimmie, don't worry too much about how your father'll react. If anything, I'll keep him in line."

Kim smiled weakly. "Thanks, Mom. What time do you want us to be there next Sunday?"

"Dinner will be at 7, so stop by any time before that... I'm sure your father and I would like to speak to Sheridan before we eat."

"Ok... Do you want me to bring anything? Dessert?"

"No, it's ok. I think we should be set... You know how much food I make for Thanksgiving," laughed Anne.

"Ok. Thanks for calling, mom."

"See you Sunday, Kimmie. Love you."

"Love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shego's going to meet the parents! Oh boy.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men.
> 
> p.s. You should check this band out, their music is pretty good.
> 
> p.p.s. 25 chapters... longest story I've ever written and I don't really see an end in sight. :P


	26. Rumour Has It

Shego was nervous. Very rarely did she have to meet the parents of the people she dated; even when she did, she would put on an act of nonchalance and charm them in her own ways. However, with Kim's family, she wasn't too sure what would happen.

She was nervous to the point where she had asked Betty about the Possibles.

"Yo."

"Shego, haven't you heard of knocking? I closed my door for a reason: I didn't want to be disturbed."

"I need some help."

Betty put down her fashion magazines and stared at Shego. Very rarely did her friend directly ask for help; usually she'd beat around the bush or act all tough when she realised she was helpless. "What for?"

"Have you ever met the Possibles?"

Betty simply stared at Shego.

"What? Have you?"

Betty shook her head. "Why are you meeting them?"

Shego crossed her arms as she took a seat. "Thanksgiving."

"Ah," realised Betty. "For a second there, I got worried you were going to ask them for your blessing or something."

"Isn't that the same thing? Meeting them? They'll probably either approve or not, but I think Kim values their opinions."

"I haven't met them, no, but I know of them. Doctor Possible is a neurosurgeon and Doctor Possible is a rocket scientist."

"That much, I do know," retorted Shego. "You're not being very helpful here, Bets."

"You're the one asking for my help," quipped Betty. "What do you want to know about them?"

"Tell me whatever you know?"

"What ever happened to respecting Kim's privacy?"

"This has nothing to do with her ex, does it?"

"Believe me when I say that Doctor Possible flipped his shit when her ex started spreading lies."

"Oh."

"You're worried about making a good impression, aren't you?"

"Yeah..."

"Don't. Just be yourself."

"Being myself got me in more messes I could handle. You should know that."

"I do, but you've moved on. Trust me, the Possibles will appreciate your honesty. Don't be an ass to them, or Doctor Possible might just strap you onto the next rocket into space."

"That serious, eh?"

"No joke, Shego. He wasn't exactly impressed with Kim afterwards. The man can be such a klutz and goof, but if you mess with his family, he's just plain scary. Possibly crazy," laughed Betty.

Shego sighed. "You know, she sort of was expecting me to not go with her, but I said yes anyway."

"Because she might just need you for support, Shego," Betty said solemnly. "You know, she was so devastated and broken after what her ex did to her. I know you want to hear it from Kim herself, but since you're meeting her parents, you should at least know the premise of what happened."

Shego made no gesture for Betty to stop, nor did she prompt her boss to continue.

"He basically blacklisted her from all of her former connections, took what he could of her - even from the Middleton Daily. If it weren't for the Seniors and Bonnie, Kim would've ended up broke, and the paper would've declared bankruptcy. It's always the charming bastards who ruin everything."

Shego remained silent for a moment before speaking. "That's sort of like what happened with me..."

"It's an uncanny parallel, yes," Betty replied. "But Morgan didn't spread lies about you, especially through the media. With all his money and financial backing from his father, he could've done much worse to Kim. Yet, she's risen from the ashes and here she is, rebuilding the paper."

"Like a phoenix."

"She certainly has the hair colour for a phoenix," mused Betty. "I personally think the city never really believed the lies, but the social elite will always be scornful of her. I suppose it's a money thing - her money is 'new' compared to those who settled here during the homestead days. His money is old and probably filthy, but everyone thought they were a match made in heaven."

Shego shook her head. "You know, I always felt like crap after Morgan left me... And cheated on me. I can't really imagine how Kim must've felt. It must've been a million times worse."

"People are fools when they're in love, but even if they know that, they're still willing to take the gamble, Shego."

"Spoken like the true old woman you are."

A magazine was thrown at Shego's head, but it missed on purpose. "Very funny," Betty said dryly. "I think that just sums it up."

Shego sighed. "Drama and baggage, great." She rolled her eyes. She really didn't want to deal with parents who might send her off into space.

"Don't think that it's a bad thing. Look where you are right now. I think you're happy, and that's all that matters."

"I thought I was happy with Morgan, where did I end up after?" scoffed Shego.

"You took the gamble, only to be used," commented Betty. She shook her head. "I know you're still somewhat afraid of commitment after what happened-"

"Six years of my life wasted, Betty. And she took everything - the car, the house - anything she could get hold of, all the while I was supporting her through medical school. So saying that I'm afraid of commitment is wrong. I'm fucking terrified of commitment."

"Yet, you're in a situation where you now have to meet the parents."

"Yes..."

"Don't bail on her, Shego. You're both good for each other."

"How? So we can just end up wallowing in our own sadness and wonder why our lives were so fucked up?" seethed Shego.

"You care about her a lot. Everyone can see that. You've been happier since you've met her - this is the old Shego I knew back in college, not the one who wasted away drinking and reminiscing about lies that were fed to you by that low-life." Betty stared hard at Shego, making the pale woman squirm in her seat.

Sighing, Betty shook her head. "What are you afraid of, Shego?"

"I just don't want to be hurt again, but I know I won't be able to avoid it."

"I hardly think Kim would hurt you - remember, she's probably just as skeptical as you are. You both just have to move past your fears and just be happy. Hell, I like you a lot more when you're happy."

"Happiness often comes with a price, Bets."

"You've paid your dues, just do what your heart tells you."

"That sounds so cheesy," laughed Shego.

"It is, but isn't it the truth? Some of our best judgments are made when we don't think, but do."

Shego rubbed her hands; they were surprisingly clammy. "Thanks, Betty. I really do appreciate the pep talk."

"Just be yourself, I'm sure they'll like you for who you are."

Shego simply nodded as she walked out of Betty's office. When she was out of earshot, she mumbled to herself, "I just don't know who I am anymore sometimes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betty's a caring sister...
> 
> Chapter title is from "Rumour Has It" by Adele.


	27. If I Just Breathe

"Shego, you don't look too good," Kim commented. "Are you feeling ok?"

"She's probably super nervous to meet your parents, Kim."

"Hey, bro, imagine how she'd look like if she was asking for their blessing."

"Ha! She'd probably-"

"Shut it! Both of you, just shut it," snapped Shego. She was looking worse for wear - she was more pale than she normally was, bordering an olive green colour.

"Walter, Wallace, can you give us some privacy?" Kim asked nicely.

The twins mutely nodded and exited Kim's car, knowing that their sister would probably blow her lid if they kept prodding her. They had decided to carpool together, especially since Kim knew the way to the Possible residence.

"Shego..." Kim took her girlfriend's hands and gently squeezed them. "Don't be nervous, please. My parents aren't scary... They're supportive and caring. Even if they weren't ok with us going out, they would respect the fact that I like you." Kim lifted Shego's chin to look her in the eye. "I promise nothing bad'll happen."

Shego blinked, sighed, and released one of her hands from Kim's grip. With said hand, she ran it through her hair frantically. "Kim... Look, Betty thought she was doing me a favour after I told her that I'm going to be meeting your parents... She sort of gave me a really condensed gist of what happened and how your dad got all angry and-"

"Shego, you have every right to know what happened. I just don't like talking about it, but I would've told you if you wanted me to. I know Betty was just trying to ease your nerves. My dad isn't that scary of a guy, he's actually really clumsy, but he is protective of his kids. Don't worry, I'll make sure he won't send you off to space in one of his pods or rockets."

"I'm sorry, Kim, I really should've asked. I feel like this is no different than just picking up an old magazine and reading it."

"If you did that, you would know that most of it is just gossip, not the truth." Kim looked away and mumbled, "At least, that's what I think you would think."

It was Shego's turn to take Kim's hands into hers. "I wouldn't believe any of it unless you tell me otherwise. Besides, you've been yourself to me this entire time, and I've told you countless times that I like you for who you are." Shego sighed and laughed, "In all honesty, I'm just really scared right now. What if your parents hate me?"

"They won't hate you," replied Kim. She hugged Shego, hoping it would comfort the older woman.

* * *

"What do you think they're talking about?" asked Wallace. They were standing outside their apartment's parking lot, hoping that whatever conversation Kim and Shego were having would be over soon.

"Eh, probably how sis is just freaking out."

"Haven't seen her this freaked out since..."

"...Naw, she wasn't freaked out. She was just apeshit that day."

"Well, Morgan did do a number on her."

"Yeah, who would've thought?"

"You think sis is happier now with Kim?"

"I think so. Doesn't seem like she's just aimlessly chugging through the days."

"You know, Matt called me the other day asking about sis?"

"Really? Why?"

"Don't know, just asked if sis was doing better since she moved here."

"You know, I bet she thinks Mum and Dad sent us here to spy on her."

"Makes sense though, I mean, she did up and leave Go City without telling anyone. They only found out through Betty that she ended up in Middleton."

"Horace hasn't called?"

"I think he's still sort of in denial that sis goes out with the ladies."

"Funny how Mum and Dad don't really care what any of us do, as long as we're happy. Yet Horace is-"

"-always an asshole."

The twins turned around and saw their sister glaring at them with her arms crossed. Kim had asked her to call the twins back to the car, but they were too engrossed in their conversation to notice that their sister had snuck up on them.

The twins looked at their sister sheepishly. "Sorry, sis..."

"...you feeling better now?"

"Yeah, just get back in the car, ok? I don't want you guys bringing up 'the incident,' ok?"

"Mum's..."

"...the word."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An odd note to make: Shego was never green in this fic to begin with. :P
> 
> Clarification: Morgan is Shego's ex-girlfriend, Kim's ex remains unnamed.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Breathe" by Michelle Branch.


	28. Paper Planes and Playground Games

The drive to the Possibles' was quiet. A little too quiet, Kim thought. The twins had returned to the car looking like they had swallowed lemons, whereas Shego looked a bit unraveled.

I feel bad having her come to this, Kim thought. Maybe I shouldn't have asked her...

Kim was lost in her thoughts during the drive over, but managed to glance over at Shego every now and then. By the time they got to the Possibles' driveway, a pair of twins appeared from the garage.

"Kim!"

The Possible twins tackled Kim into a hug when she stepped out of the car. Noticing the new faces, Jim and Tim quickly introduced themselves with handshakes.

"So."

"You're Kim's..."

"...girlfriend?"

Shego nodded. "Can you not do that?"

"Do..."

"...what?"

"Finish each other's sentences. I get enough of that already with my own twin brothers."

The Possible twins did something too weird for Shego: they high-fived and said, "Hicka-bicka-boo? Hoo-sha!" before entering the house with her own brothers.

When she came to her senses, she heard Kim chuckling at her. "You look so confused."

"Twins speak their own language, don't they?"

"Yes, yes, they do," said a voice Shego couldn't recognise. The front door was open and a spit image of Kim (but older) walked over to shake her hand.

"Anne Possible."

"Sheridan Godeaux, but everyone calls me 'Shego'," replied Shego with a firm handshake. Now or never, Shego thought, time to make a good impression.

"Come, let's go inside. Kimmie, your father wants to speak to you quickly in the study." Anne led Shego to the living room, where the boys were talking excitedly over some sort of rocket fuel.

* * *

Kim hesitantly knocked on the study door. The door swung open, revealing a greying Doctor Possible.

"Kimmie-cub!" He enveloped his daughter in a bear hug before releasing her and giving her a look-over.

"Hi Dad," Kim said weakly. She was running through all the different possibilities and reasons as to why he wanted to speak to her in private, but was drawing a blank.

"Sit, sit," said James. He moved a stack of papers from a chair.

Kim sat down, unsure of what might happen next.

"Your mother told me you brought a guest today."

"Uh, yes, Sheridan... But you can call her 'Shego' if you want."

"How long have you been going out?"

"Dad! I'm 28! You need to stop asking me these things..." Kim exasperated. Seeing the unwavering look in her father's eyes, she weakly responded with a "almost three months."

"Kim. You know your mother and I can't help but be skeptical about the people you meet... We just don't want to see you hurt."

"I know, but there comes a point and age where I'm solely responsible for my own choices in life and, well, I have to pay for them if they're mistakes or that I had a lapse in judgement."

"How serious are you about this relationship?"

"Dad, I came home to have dinner with my family, not to be interrogated about my love life!"

"Quite serious then. Your reaction says it all." James clasped both of his hands and stared at his daughter. "Kim, we're just looking out for you."

"I know, Dad, and I'm very thankful for that. Really." Kim got up, taking her father's statement as her cue to leave. He stopped her as she was about to head out the door.

"Ask Sheridan to come by. I'd like a few words with her."

* * *

"So what do you do, Shego? In the brief conversation I've had with Kim, I don't think we ever came across the topic," said Anne as she handed Shego a glass of water.

"Thank you," murmured Shego. "I'm in graphic design, I work with a small firm in the city, and we've been recently doing some work for the paper." Realizing that her response could raise a few questions about her work ethics, she hastily added, "Kim and I met before we started working together though."

Anne laughed. "Relax, Shego, don't worry about it. I don't bite people's heads off - I'm not that mean, at least I would hope Kimmie didn't say that I am."

"No, no, she didn't, I know she said you're a brain surgeon, but nothing about you being mean..."

"What did you say I said?" Kim reappeared into the living room and placed a hand on Shego's shoulder.

"Your poor girlfriend is a nervous wreck, Kim, did you scare her on the way over here?" laughed her mom.

Shego laughed sheepishly, as a pinkish hue appeared on her cheeks. A sudden clang in the kitchen caught everyone's attention, and Anne took this opportunity to leave to see what happened.

"Are you ok?" Kim put a hand to Shego's cheek - she could literally feel Shego's embarrassment written all over the older woman's face.

"Yeah, just fine..." Shego took a gulp of water and asked, "How'd it go with your dad?"

"He wants to talk to you."

"Oh... now?"

Kim nodded. "I'll go with you if you want..."

"No, it should be fine. I have nothing to hide, and it's not like I've already done something to piss him off, right?"

Kim took Shego by the hand and led her to the study. "I'll be out here, ok?"

Shego nodded and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized I never gave Shego a last name when I first started writing this...
> 
> Clarification: There appears to be some confusion as to why I put Thanksgiving dinner on a Sunday. Reason: I live in Canada, and Thanksgiving is usually on a Monday (second Monday of October, actually); people tend to have the dinner on Sunday, but this differs with every family. While I realize Middleton is supposedly in the United States (according to series director Steve Loter), this invalidates having the dinner on a Sunday, but I won't be changing when the dinner is held in this story.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Starry Eyed" by Ellie Goulding.


	29. Song of Harvest Home

"Come in."

Shego straightened her dress shirt and walked in. What she saw surprised her a little; Kim did mention that her dad was somewhat clumsy, but this man wasn't the man she envisioned to be Kim's father. Instead of a stern-looking man, she found a greying Doctor Possible, one who looked like he could be everybody's buddy in a time of need. He got up to shake her hand.

"James Possible."

"Sheridan Godeaux, but everyone calls me 'Shego'."

"Huh, does this run in the family? Your brothers told me I could call them 'Wego'... despite the fact that they both don't have the same first name..."

"Um, yes," replied Shego. So far so good? He wasn't all scary or mean to her... "They're just nicknames that my siblings and I had picked out when we were really, _really_ young."

"There's more than just the twins?"

Shego nodded. "Horace is 'Hego' and Matt is 'Mego'... seems we opted for the ones that started with anything that rhymed with 'he', 'me', 'she', and 'we'..."

"I see, but why end with '-go'?" James was genuinely interested; Shego was a bit baffled since not even Kim had asked about this.

"It serves as a short form of our last name, and I guess the fact that we're from Go City."

"Hmm, Go City, that's a ways from here."

"Um, yes, I moved here a year and a bit ago... And I guess my brothers found themselves here with their job and research opportunities."

James leaned forward and clasped his hands, elbows on the table. "And what exactly do you do?"

Unnerved by the sudden focus on her work life, Shego coolly responded with "Graphics design. I'm working for a firm that's helping out with some designs for the paper."

"So this is an office romance?" James raised an eyebrow.

"No, sir, we had met before working together." Shego clarified further, "Kim's removed herself from all projects that I've been working on, as an added measure."

"I see." James stared hard at Shego, possibly hoping the woman would flinch, but she coolly kept her gaze.

"How old are you, Shego?"

"Thirty three." She thought to herself, I don't see why age would really make a difference.

James simply nodded and got up. "Come, let's go out to the living room."

Shego was confused. Were they done talking or will they talk more out in the living room?

James opened the door and saw his daughter out in the hall.

"Kimmie-cub, what are you doing here?"

"Huh, waiting for Shego..."

"Don't worry about it, Kim, everything's fine. Isn't that right, Shego?" He flashed both ladies a genuine smile and walked off to the living room.

"Uh, yeah, fine..." Shego mumbled. "What just happened?"

"I think he's just glad you're not some gangbanger or something," laughed the redhead. Kim slipped her hand in Shego's and tugged her girlfriend in the direction of the living room. "C'mon, let's go... our brothers are being too geeky talking about rockets and physics."

"So he's ok with us dating?" Shego was still fixed in place, a bit skeptical about what just happened.

Kim shrugged. "I guess we'll find out soon? It didn't seem like he was mad or anything when he walked out of the study." She entwined her fingers with Shego's. "C'mon, they're probably waiting for us."

"Ok." Shego smiled as Kim kissed her as a form of reassurance.

* * *

When the two had returned to the living room, they found their brothers hovering over a portable whiteboard, and writing down physics-related formulae. James was standing on the side, as if he was refereeing some sort of physics-a-thon.

"Girls, you're just in time... To help me in the kitchen. The boys are off doing their own thing again," remarked Anne. "Come, come..." She ushered them into the kitchen where delicious smells wafted around.

"Shego, how do you fare in the kitchen?" asked Anne as she gave both Kim and Shego an apron.

"Ok, I guess... I can only make basic things, like salad, pasta, toast..."

"Much better than Kimmie here then."

"Hey! It was just that time in home ec that I..." She trailed off when she saw that Shego was giving her an incredulous look. "What? I took a home ec class in high school..."

"And she somehow blew up the oven," laughed Anne.

Shego chuckled at the thought and was handed a bowl of whipped cream. "If you can please just put some dollops of cream on these dessert cups, Shego. I didn't have time to do them last night because I had an emergency surgery to attend to." Anne turned to her daughter and jokingly said, "Kim, why don't you toss the salad... That shouldn't been to explosive or messy for you, I hope."

Embarrassed, Kim started tossing the salad together. "Mom, I can cook just fine on my own... It's not as bad as you think."

Anne laughed. "I think the last time you made something for us to eat was during the July 4th weekend." She turned to Shego and cracked a smile. "She accidentally mixed up the sugar with salt in her cake."

"Mom! Stop it, please!" Kim was really embarrassed since Shego hadn't had the liberty of trying her cooking. Now that she thought about it, they had never really cooked for each other when they went over to each other's apartments for date night. Well, this is something we need to change, she thought.

"Oh, Kim, don't get so flustered. Everyone makes mistakes, you just need to pay more attention when you're cooking, isn't that right, Shego?"

Shego gave Kim a sheepish smile. "Yeah."

"Have you ever had any of Kim's cooking?" Anne asked.

Shego shook her head. "I haven't had the pleasure yet. She might not like my cooking either though."

"Then maybe you both should start taking notes," laughed Anne. "Although, I made most of the food before you arrived... But, Shego, dear, if you ever want some pointers, just ask."

"Uh, ok." Shego was a bit startled that Anne was being really nice to her, and even inviting her to contact Anne in the future.

Kim smiled to herself as she was tossing the salad. So far, so good, she thought.

"Boys, it's time to eat," shouted Anne from the kitchen.

The sounds of a portable whiteboard being abandoned and the sudden cluttering of utensils told the women that the men were seated at the table.

When Kim and Shego emerged in the dining room, they noticed two seats, that were side-by-side in-between James and Jim, were left empty for them. Shyly, Shego took the seat beside James as Kim took the other seat beside Jim. Anne had slipped into the seat across from James as she brought out the turkey.

"Well, everyone, let's say grace before we dig in," said Anne. She looked at Shego. "Would you do the honours, Shego?"

She could hear her brothers snicker across the table - they were sitting in-between Anne and Tim, and were giving their sister smug looks. It had been maybe fifteen years since Shego last said grace at dinner.

"If you don't want to, that's ok too. Actually, how insensitive of me, I should've asked whether you and your brothers are religious," said Anne.

Shego shook her head. "No, it's ok, we grew up agnostic, but our parents did ask us to say grace on occasion, especially when we had our more religious relatives come over for Thanksgiving dinner... It's just been a while since I've said grace, that's all..."

"Try fifteen years," snickered Wallace.

Shego gave her brother a look that could curdle milk. After clearing her throat, she said, "Dear Lord, thank you for this food we are about to receive. Bless those who have prepared it, and those who provided for it. Amen."

Anne smiled at Shego. "That was well said."

"Come on, everyone, let's dig in," remarked James.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I grew up agnostic, but never really had to say grace, so I hope that was decent...
> 
> Chapter title is from "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" by Leigh Nash. (From her Hymns and Sacred Songs album.)


	30. Sing Me to Sleep

After all the food was eaten and the delicious Possible pumpkin pie devoured, it was quiet in the Possible house.

The two sets of twins had gone off into the backyard to test projectiles, while the older Possibles lounged around in the living room. Shego and Kim were in the kitchen doing the dishes - at their own insistence when Anne had objected having her guests do them. "Mom, it's the least we could do - you spent all day cooking" was Kim's remark.

So there they were, cleaning and drying dishes, only their laughter and the sound of running water echoing in the house.

"Anne," James said as he put down his paper.

"Yes, dear?" Anne looked up from her Neuroscience Weekly magazine.

"What do you think?"

"They're very well much in love," murmured Anne as she looked back down at an interesting article about emergency room etiquette. She added, "Whether they know it or not."

"I can see that, but don't you worry about Kim?"

"I do, honey, but she's taking this all as it comes. One can never prepare enough for the inevitable, if it happens."

"I'm just saying it might be better if she-"

"James, you can't put a value on love, nor can you really anticipate when it begins and when it ends. If something happens, I'm sure Kim will be able to handle it."

"Anne, don't you think we should at least-"

"James, I realise she is our eldest, and our only daughter, but she's old enough to make her decisions. I admit, even I thought she and-"

"Don't say his name, please."

"-they were a good match, but no one saw it coming and it hurt her. Time heals all wounds, James, just let her be. We shouldn't meddle, anyway," commented Anne.

"I know, I'm just worried."

"Shego's a wonderful woman, I'm certain they'll be happy - no matter what happens."

With that, sounds of laughter filled the living room as a ruffled-looking Kim and dress-sleeves-soaked Shego walked in.

"Kim? What happened?"

"Hee, we had an impromptu water fight," giggled Kim.

"After the dishes were done," added Shego nervously.

Anne chuckled and got up. "Come on, girls, let's get you cleaned up."

"Oh, mom, it's ok, we're going to be going soon, I think," said Kim.

"Kimmie, I'm not letting you go out there soaked like this. Come on, I'll get some towels and maybe a t-shirt for Sheridan to wear while hers dries," Anne said firmly. "Besides, you can stay the night, we have enough rooms for our guests."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose," interjected Shego.

"Nonsense," replied Anne. "Kimmie's still got her old room and we have two other guest rooms."

"Mom, it's fine, really. I'm not sure when the twins need to go back, but Shego and I should head back soon since we have work to do... And I don't think Bonnie would be happy if her graphic designer isn't able to handoff her designs to the typesetters."

"Actually, Kim, I sent them in last night..."

"You did?"

"See? Now that Sheridan's done her designs, you both can stay the night." Anne gave her own daughter a puppy dog pout and said, "Kimmie, this is the first time you've visited in a while, so please just spend the night? I'm sure your father would also want this too, don't you, James?"

Anne had given her husband a "play along with this, or else" look, so James just nodded.

"See? Your father agrees. Come, let's get you some dry clothes."

Shego shrugged at Kim and followed Anne upstairs.

After being dried off and clothes were put in the wash, Anne rallied up the Godeaux boys and told them about the plan for the evening. They seemed ecstatic that they were staying the night and headed down to the basement where the Possible twins were running some sort of experiments. James had retired to his study to do some reading, leaving the women alone in the kitchen.

Mulling over hot cups of tea, Anne amusedly remarked, "Ah, I forgot to tell the boys about the sleeping arrangements. Would it be ok if Shego slept in your room, Kim? We only have two singles in the guestrooms."

If Anne had a camera with her, she would've taken a picture of both Kim and Shego's reactions. Shego almost choked on her tea, and Kim had turned a crimson colour as she hesitantly replied, "Uh... Sure..."

Clearly, they haven't gotten too far in their relationship, mused Anne.

"Well then, I'll leave you two now and tell the boys about the guestrooms." Anne got up to go and noted the soon-to-be growing tension in the air.

* * *

After clearing her throat several times, Shego finally spoke. "Would it be better if I took the couch?"

"No!" Kim objected vehemently. "I mean, my bed is pretty big for two people... Oh boy, I didn't mean it that way, uh..."

Shego chuckled. "Kim Possible, are you at a loss of words?"

Kim lightly punched Shego in the arm. "I am, just a bit."

"Seriously though, I can take the couch..."

"C'mon, I'll show you my room first... I'm not kidding about the bed." Kim took Shego by the hand and led her upstairs.

When they got up top, Shego simply stared at the room.

"Your room is in the loft?"

"Yeah, lots of space, see?" Kim suddenly noticed an old O-Boyz poster on her wall since her high school days and really hoped her girlfriend wouldn't call her out on it.

Shego walked around and took a look at everything. "You know, with four brothers, all I got was a dinky room in our house... And that I had to share with Matt shortly before the twins were born. This... This is like every kid's dream room. Heck, it seems more cozy than my own apartment." She walked over to the window and looked outside. "Good view too."

Kim smiled. "And the bed...?"

Shego looked back at the bed. "Ok, yeah, so it's big enough for two - no, maybe three people."

"You won't take the couch then?" asked Kim in a hopeful voice.

Shego rubbed the back of her neck with one hand and shook her head. "No, I guess I'll take the bed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I'm not writing anything that goes beyond the T rating. =)
> 
> 30th chapter! Milestone. Possibly the most chapters I've updated this week... it's going to slow down in a bit.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Asleep" by The Smiths.


	31. Something Must Change

Shego cracked open her eyes. She was in a comfy bed, but felt something on her. Without getting up, she looked around and noticed a head full of red hair beside her. A stray arm was laid out across her stomach.

After an awkward goodnight kiss, Kim had somehow managed to go from her side of the bed to Shego's. That ended up in snuggling in bed and the sounds of contented sighing.

Shego closed her eyes. Were they moving too quickly? As innocent as Anne's request was, she couldn't help but feel like this step was too big of one to take. She felt Kim stir from her sleep and felt soft lips on hers.

Opening her eyes, she saw a bashful Kim looking back at her.

"How long have you been awake for?" asked the redhead.

"Long enough to know you just kissed me," Shego smiled. She sat up and gave Kim a 'good morning' kiss.

Kim smiled and ran a hand through her messy hair. "When do you want to leave today?"

"Don't know, after breakfast?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Should check with the Wegos though... I think they stayed up building something with your brothers," said Shego.

They heard knocking down below them. "Girls, time to get up, breakfast's ready." It was not Anne's voice, but James'.

Embarrassed that he might've overheard their conversation, or even their relatively tame 'make-out' session, Kim shouted back, "Sure, Dad, we'll be down in a bit."

They stayed silent and heard the shuffling of feet disappear.

* * *

"Honey, did you ask Shego to sleep in Kim's room?"

"Hmm, oh... Well, we don't have that many rooms in the house, James. Besides, Kimmie's room is rather big," replied Anne as she flipped pancakes.

"Anne..."

"It's not like they're rambunctious teenagers, James. They're grown women," commented Anne as she moved onto her batch of blueberry pancakes.

James sighed.

"She's not a child anymore, James," Anne stated matter-of-factly. "She has her own life and we have our own."

The shuffling of feet down the stairs told the oldest Possibles that their guests were coming down for breakfast, so they remained silent until Kim and Shego appeared.

"Good morning, girls," Anne said. "Had a good night's sleep?"

Shego nodded. "Good morning, Doctors Possible."

"Please, I think we're on a first name basis now," Anne chuckled.

"Um, ok," replied Shego.

"How do you like your pancakes, Shego?"

"Any kind is fine."

"Help yourself. We have regular, chocolate chip, and blueberry," said James.

"Ok," said Shego as Kim handed her a mug of coffee.

A sudden, yet muffled, explosion in the basement caught everyone's attention.

"Boys!" roared James. "What are you building down there?"

"Wegos! You'd better not have damaged anything down there! I'm not going to cover for you, so it'll be out of your own pockets!" yelled Shego as she opened the basement door. Before going downstairs, she turned to Kim's parents and said, "I'm so sorry. I'll talk to them."

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she found two pairs of twins with dust and dirt all over their clothes.

"Walter, Wallace," growled Shego. "What just happened here?"

James, Kim, and Anne had come down as well, and had amused looks on their faces as the Godeaux twins had horrified looks on their faces.

"Nothing, sis, the valve just broke," replied Wallace.

"I told you not to put so much pressure!" snapped Walter. He slapped his twin on the arm.

"Ow! Hey, you were the one who said it could handle more!"

"Stop it! Both of you!" Shego regained control of the situation by physically pulling her two brothers apart.

"Jim, Tim, what were you building?" asked Kim. She had noticed they were laughing at the Godeaux twins while their sister was disciplining them.

"Proton..."

"...accelerator."

"In the basement?" exclaimed Shego. "You'd need thrice the size of the room to do that!"

Everyone turned their attention to Shego.

"What, I know my science and physics. It's physically not possible in here."

"We added loops and everything," commented Wallace.

"That just slows it down, unless you were trying to build a cyclotron" snapped Shego. "Wait, why are you even building these things? Doctor Possible's lab should have one."

"Just..."

"...for..."

"Fun!" shouted both pairs of twins.

"I can see why mom and dad were so glad you moved out for university," mumbled Shego. "If you broke anything, you're going to foot the bill, you hear me?"

The Wegos nodded as the Possible twins just grinned.

"Oh, just because they're in trouble doesn't mean you aren't," Anne said. Jim and Tim both went, "Aww mannnn" as Kim laughed.

Anne cleared her throat. "Judging by how nothing seems broken, just dirty, I say we go upstairs and have breakfast... We'll worry about clean-up later."

* * *

After breakfast was done and the boys had cleaned up their mess, James and Anne had asked to speak with Shego alone.

"Sit, Shego," said James as he took a seat across from her. Anne sat with him on the couch.

Kim was hovering outside the house, attempting to eavesdrop as she waited with Wallace and Walter. Jim and Tim were tinkering with something in the garage while they all waited.

James cleared his throat. "Judging by how it's pretty evident you both care about each other, I'd like to offer you a piece of advice, Shego."

Shego blinked. "Um, ok."

"Don't hurt her," James stated bluntly.

Shego stared back at James. "I would never hurt her."

"What my husband is trying to say is that we don't want Kim to go through the same thing that happened in her last relationship. Of course, you don't have the media at your disposal, nor do you seem to harbour any ill feelings towards our daughter-"

"Why would I?" interjected Shego.

"Shego, you've been here since last year, everything was starting to fade at that point but surely you've heard-"

"I was only told about what happened - a really condensed version, mind you - very recently. I don't really read the tabloids at all... But I can understand your hesitation, but I," Shego stared at the floor as she spoke, "...really like your daughter."

James sighed. "I know the relationship is beyond our control, and that it's selfish for us to not see Kim hurt, but we're actually glad that Kim's met someone new."

"You are?" Shego looked up from the floor and saw the honest look in James' eyes.

"You know, it's not fair of us to focus on Kim," commented Anne. "She is our daughter, after all, but I can't help but wonder why you've come all the way from Go City to Middleton... It seems like you come from a good family and that there are many job opportunities, especially in graphics design, in Go City compared to here."

Shego bit her lip as she thought of how to properly word her response. "I had just gotten out of a bad relationship then, packed up my things, and left. Figured I might as well go places while I still can, and ended up here."

"Forgive me if it sounded like I was prying," replied Anne.

"It's no problem... After all, I probably seem like just a stranger to you," admitted Shego.

"Not at all," commented James. "Your brothers had brought you up several times while we were chatting in the lab... I guess I was a bit surprised when I found out that Kim is going out with you. It's an interesting coincidence, really."

Shego nodded.

"We're really glad Kim brought you over for Thanksgiving." Anne smiled. "It's much better when the house is more lively, especially with the twins around."

"It is," remarked James. "It's nice to see Kim smile again." He smiled at Shego. "Thank you for making our Kimmie smile again."

Shego nodded. "I'll do my best to make her happy."

"Well, then, I think that's all we had to talk about for now," replied James. He got up and offered his hand to Shego.

Shego stood and shook James' hand as Anne watched on, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shego is knowledgeable in experimental particle physics... What?
> 
> Aha, it still sounds like the Possible parents just gave her their blessing...
> 
> I've actually had this chapter written for about a month and realized I should upload something. Whoops. Happy April Fools' Day? =P
> 
> Chapter title is from "Kreuzberg" by Bloc Party.


	32. No One Can Hurt You Now

As Shego exited the Possibles' house, the older Possibles followed and stopped at the front door. Kim walked over nervously and gave her parents hugs.

"Don't worry, Kimmie-cub. Shego wasn't in trouble or anything, we just wanted to have a talk with her," whispered James. "We're happy for you."

Kim smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"Will you be coming home for Christmas this year, Kim?" asked her mother as she gave her daughter a hug.

"I don't know yet... Bonnie wants me to take a holiday, so I guess I might."

"If you do, feel free to invite Shego and her brothers over... Unless they have plans."

"I'll ask them when it's closer to Christmas," replied Kim. "Thank you. I know I don't really make the best judgments with relationships-"

"Kimmie-cub, it's part of the risk of trying something new, and well, we all learn from our mistakes, but we're honestly happy for you right now," commented James.

"Thanks, Dad." Kim gave her parents kisses on their cheeks and turned to leave.

James looked over at Shego, who nodded silently, and waved at the Godeaux twins. "See you tomorrow!"

The Wegos waved and grinned. With Jim and Tim, they had developed some new exciting experiments they were going to try when they got back to the Middleton Space Centre. Having exchanged their contact information with the Possible twins, they were ready to do collaborations on particle physics experiments and hopefully publish a paper by Christmas.

Kim shouted to her brothers, "Jim, Tim, don't blow up anything else while you're still home!" The twins laughed and gave their sister a thumbs up as she pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

"Did you have a good time? I'm sorry if my parents made you uncomfortable at any point..."

Shego was looking outside the passenger window, apparently deep in thought.

"It was good... Your parents are nice, so no, they didn't really make me feel uncomfortable."

"Ok," replied Kim. She had dropped off the Wegos at their apartment and had told them not to cause too much trouble at the Space Centre with their new experiments. They simply laughed in response with mischievous twinkles in their eyes. Kim and Shego were now on their way back to Shego's apartment, but the drive was a rather silent one.

"What's up? You've been awfully quiet during the whole trip back home," murmured Kim.

Shego's gaze flickered to her girlfriend. "Just been thinking..."

"...about...?"

"Just the direction of where our relationship is heading now that I've met your parents."

"Oh," replied Kim. She got off the freeway and decided that this conversation shouldn't be held in the car. "Do you want to talk about this elsewhere? Not when I'm driving...?"

"It's ok, I think we're good... I was just wondering whether I should now reciprocate and introduce you to my parents..."

Kim remained silent as she mulled over that thought; before she knew it, she arrived at Shego's apartment. "Can I come up?"

Her girlfriend's request caught Shego off-guard. "Sure..."

Kim parked her car in the guest parking spot and followed Shego up to her suite. She had only been here a few times - date night was usually at Kim's apartment, but she felt that Shego had more in mind that should be discussed. Something's bothering her, Kim thought as they entered the suite.

* * *

Tossing her keys into a bowl near the door, Shego went to the kitchen to fix Kim a cup of tea. She felt it was customary behaviour to offer guests something to drink, and Kim was used to it by now. (Kim was bewildered at first since they would be eating take-out with drinks anyway, but she had grown accustomed to Shego's unique blend of tea leaves.)

"Here," said Shego as she offered a mug to Kim.

They sat at the dining table and both quietly stared at their steaming mugs of tea.

"So..." Kin started, but wasn't sure how to continue. She took a sip of tea and said in a small voice, "You think it's too soon to have met my parents, don't you?"

Shego ran a hand through her hair. "A bit, yes, but I really did enjoy getting to know them... Don't get me wrong, I like them and they like me... It's just..."

"It's just what?"

"I'll be honest with you, Kim. When your mom suggested sharing your bed, it made me uncomfortable..."

"I see..."

"I mean, I liked it, but it's a big step, right?"

"We snuggle on the couch when we watch movies, it's not that different... Just that the bed is a bigger piece of furniture."

"It's not that... It's... How do I explain this..." Shego took a large gulp of tea. "It's another level of intimacy that I might not be ready for."

Kim blinked and understood her girlfriend's point. Of the three months they'd been dating, she had never entertained thoughts of a sexual nature, so she could understand Shego's hesitation in the matter.

"Shego, it doesn't mean anything bad to just sleep in the same bed, right?"

"I just think sleeping in the same bed is on a different level..."

"So if you ever sleep over, I should just make you sleep on the couch?"

Shego bit back the comment that she probably wouldn't sleep over, but felt that might hurt Kim's feelings. After all, romantic partners did do sleepovers, right?

"No, that wouldn't be very... Accommodating," Shego replied.

Kim was confused. Really, really confused. "So..."

"You know what, let's just drop the matter," Shego said.

"But if it's bothering you, we should talk about it. Communication is-"

"-vital in a relationship, I know," sighed Shego.

"Are you not ready for such a step? I think sleepovers are fairly mild, it's just nice to not wake up alone, but maybe we're moving too fast...?"

"I like our current pace, but don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind sleeping beside you... It's just probably something wrong with me. I get insecure, uh, about a lot of things."

"Don't be," said Kim as she took Shego's hands in hers. "I know we both have ghosts from the past that haunt us and time is always the best medicine, but let's try to let it all go since we can't rewrite history."

Shego nodded and then stared back down at her mug. "You know, I was never so 'broken' when I was in Go City... It was when I found out that, not only my ex was cheating on me with her med school lab partner, but she had somehow managed to sign over everything we shared and put it under her name. It was a total blow to my ego, to be used and not realise it."

"Sometimes, we're just blinded by 'love', but in reality, it's not love... You just fall for the charms of others," murmured Kim.

"The money, apartment, and car didn't mean much to me, but just the fact that I couldn't see what was happening at the time really wounded me. I'm afraid of giving too much emotionally when I'll only be hurt in the end."

"And now you feel like that," stated Kim.

Shego shrugged. "I guess."

"Shego, sometimes the risk is worth taking... Sometimes it's not. But don't let this turn you away from something good. It would be cocky of me to say I would never hurt you, but I'm sure we will have our fair share of disagreements... But just know right here, right now, I'm here if you want me to be."

Shego looked up and looked into Kim's olive eyes. She could see the truth shimmering in her girlfriend's eyes, so she startled the redhead by enveloping her in a hug.

Kim laid her head on Shego's shoulder and patted her girlfriend. "I can't make promises that I won't be able to keep, but I'll be here until you don't want me to be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Insecurities, Shego has them.
> 
> This was a strange chapter to write. Things will reveal themselves slowly as the story unfolds.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift, featuring the Civil Wars.


	33. But I Don't Want to Live That Way

After that reassuring pep talk, Kim had left Shego's apartment and headed towards her own. She was a bit lost in thought as she found her way to the couch.

"I think we're both so broken up that we can't really move forward," mumbled Kim. She rubbed her eyes.

She couldn't lie - last night was probably the best night's sleep she had had in ages... All because Shego was lying beside her. It was oddly comforting since she wouldn't have normally entertained the idea of sharing the bed, but her mother was being sly on purpose.

Kim smiled. In her own way, her mother had approved of the relationship. "But now it's giving us all sorts of problems..."

Kim knew that giving Shego space was probably the best thing to do right now, which is why she did not suggest staying over at Shego's for a late lunch or early dinner, and had headed back home.

Perhaps that giving Shego space could also be a bad thing, Kim mused as she closed her eyes and lied down on the couch. It might signal to her girlfriend that Kim was just avoiding her. "No, she wouldn't think that," mumbled Kim. After all, Kim did just reassure her girlfriend that she would stick around until Shego didn't want her anymore.

Sometimes you have to be selfless in a relationship, Kim thought. But maybe that's why people get burned in the end - they give their partners their all, only to have it thrown back in their faces later. I wonder what Shego thinks of me right now. Do I seem desperate to keep her? Or does she understand that I know what kind of thoughts and emotions she's going through?

I guess, in a way, I've been the more assertive one in the relationship so far... Starting with how I sort of creeped her out at St. Jude's after she stood me up... No, she didn't exactly bail on me - she was just nervous... But part of me wonders that, if I had never made a move, we'd just remain strangers...

Kim rolled to her side and was now facing the back support of the couch. Don't think like this, Kim. It is what it is. You've done what you've done to get this far... Don't you dare have any doubts. Shego likes you for who you are.

I can't keep thinking everyone's out to hurt me like... _Eric_.

* * *

For a year, Kim had been unable to say or think of just his name. Eric.

Such a simple word could cause a twenty-eight year old woman to go through the following emotions: sadness, anger, despair, and even longing.

But she felt born anew now. Able to face her fears and move on - she hoped.

To be used so thoroughly and to not have one of her best friends help her tough out the pain really wounded Kim. She was never proud, never arrogant, so for the longest time, all she could ever wonder was why she ended up a victim. Why she ended up so hurt. And why a loved one did the things he did.

Power? Control? What could anyone gain from a small local paper? To be manipulated and shamed in her own town, even.

Kim had wondered 'why' so many times that she didn't really know how she managed to function since the break-up. Sure, she had Bonnie and the Seniors, Wade, Hannah, and her family as support, but it wasn't the same as living and breathing on her own.

"Time heals all wounds." It was the mantra Kim repeated to herself. Give it time, she had mumbled to herself. Time to heal. Time to learn. Time to forgive - no, she could probably never forgive him.

So when she saw Shego's ad, she felt that maybe it was time to move on and stop wallowing in her ownself- pity. Time to try something new: meet new people. Time to just get her life back on track.

What she didn't realise was how Shego was similar to her in more ways than one. What she didn't expect was a level of understanding, compassion, and maybe, just maybe, love.

Maybe they were moving too fast and Shego realised it. Maybe Shego also has the same fears of being hurt that giving each other some distance was needed before they could move a step further.

Maybe-

* * *

There was a knock on her door, and Kim got up from the couch. Wow, that was quite a train of thought, she Amused. Looking through her peephole, she saw a familiar figure.

Opening the door, she was enveloped in a hug.

"What are you doing here?"

"I..." The speaker shrugged. "I think I was being selfish."

"You weren't."

"I can't hole up like I used to when I was worried or upset about something. It just wouldn't be fair to you, Kim."

"You're entitled to your own emotions," replied the redhead.

"I have to take yours into account too. My world just isn't 'me' now, it's 'we': you and me, I have to be fair to you too."

"Shego-"

"I'm sorry." The older woman sheepishly ran a hand through her hair. "It's obvious we care about each other - I just don't want you thinking that just because I'm upset about something that I get my way. It's a two-way street."

"I'm comfortable at whatever pace you want for this," Kim took Shego's hand and led her to the couch. "I know for sure that my parents rattled you a bit with their pep talk, but what matters is how _we_ handle things, not them."

"I know-"

"I think I should really apologise on my mom's behalf though-"

"Don't," Shego interjected. She rubbed the nape of her neck. "We could do sleepovers..."

Kim was a bit surprised.

"I mean, I see you most of the time at work and all, so sleepovers wouldn't be too big of a step, right?"

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I did some thinking after you left... I'll probably never ever meet someone so understanding ever again that I'm willing to accept all the risks that come with a relationship. Without a challenge, we can't move forward." Shego chuckled feebly. "I realised that after you left. It's odd, though, you can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness after all the pain you've gone through. If we can't move past the sadness, then the chemistry would fizzle out sooner than you'd think."

Kim nodded in understanding. "I was actually debating with myself whether leaving was a good idea - I didn't want to give you the wrong impression-"

" _We_ have to work things out together, so..." Shego smiled. "...yeah. I didn't mean to make such a big fuss about it..."

Kim squeezed Shego's hand. "It's fine. Do you want to do anything today? Given since you're already over here and all." She looked at the clock in the living room. "It's well past lunch, but do you want to grab a bite? Or stay in?"

Shego grinned. "Maybe I should make you food since your mom wondered about that."

Kim laughed. "Déjeuner chez moi, except you'll be cooking. I'm sure your cooking isn't as horrible as mine."

Shego smiled. "We'll see about that. Do you have any pasta?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another strange chapter... This is starting to sound like a soap opera.
> 
> "Déjeuner chez moi" is French for "lunch at home" - Kim's home, in this case.
> 
> The next few chapters have been written, FYI. Just felt like uploading a few before I disappear again (because of school).
> 
> Chapter title is from "Somebody that I Used to Know" by Gotye, featuring Kimbra. (Also, check out Walk Off the Earth's cover of this song, it's fantastic...)


	34. I'm Hoping You'll Show Me What to Do

The kitchen was a mess. Shego now believed Anne's claims that Kim was pretty bad in the kitchen. What was supposed to be an easy task (cutting tomatoes and onions) ended up being a very messy operation. Kim had gripped the tomatoes too hard, so when her knife pierced the flesh, seeds and juice sprayed all over the board and counter.

And Kim started crying when dealing with the onions.

If Shego was a sous-chef and Kim the apprentice, she would've told Kim to just leave and let her deal with cooking. Except her girlfriend was quite adamant in getting the meal done - contributing to a group effort, if you will.

So what happened was that Shego had to deal with one determined, yet crying, redhead who was horrible in the kitchen and to somehow produce something edible for both of them to eat.

In the end, they sat on the kitchen floor sharing a pot of somewhat edible pasta between them.

"You know, Kim, I totally believe your mom now."

Kim gave her girlfriend a toothy grin. "I was worse before... I guess. At least the kitchen isn't covered in flour... I had a baking phase at one point in high school. Bonnie and I were competing to sell the most baked goods... But I couldn't bake for beans and my mom ended up helping me."

"Did you win though?"

"Did I ever! You should've seen the look on Bonnie's face when they told her I won by one sale."

Shego laughed. "Must've been quite the reaction. I'm surprised you both ended up good friends even though you both seemed to be a bit competitive with each other."

"Yeah, life works out in strange ways, doesn't it? What about you and Betty? I guess you and her are kind of like Bonnie and me..."

"We were dorm mates in college. The girl was a wild one back then. I was a bookworm of sorts and a bit antsy when it came to sloppiness, so to say we did have disagreements is an understatement, but we somehow ended up good friends. I guess she got used to me nagging at her to clean her part of the room, and I put up with her whole carefree attitude."

"Betty was carefree?" asked a surprised Kim. "She doesn't seem like it..."

"There's some saying that our youth shapes who we are... After her accident with her eye, I guess she, uh, literally saw things differently. She used to be a party girl, but sobered up after the accident."

"Oh..."

"Word of advice: don't play beer pong with objects or paddles that could hurt your eye... And don't let your brother anywhere near pool sticks when drunk."

"I... Don't even want to know now," laughed Kim. "That just seems so bizarre."

"It is bizarre, I wasn't there when it happened, but from what I heard, it was a crazy party and, well, accidents happen."

"It just doesn't seem very Betty-like to me."

"You haven't known her for fifteen years, that's why," laughed Shego. "I think it really turned her life around though. Like you said, life works in strange ways."

"I guess it does." Kim swirled her fork around in the pot and put it in her mouth, chewing as she thought. "You know, I think that you're right. We both have friends who are similar to each other, both Betty and Bonnie are fairly headstrong people on their own. I wouldn't want to see the day they work together - it might be terrifying." Kim pretended to shudder as her girlfriend laughed.

"It's a good thing they're sort of partnered up indirectly though. I'd be terrified too, but it could work to both of their advantages." Shego took another swirl of spaghetti in her mouth.

"I guess that's true... Oh!"

"Hmm?"

"I never actually asked you this, I think. How did you end up in graphic design? Was it something you wanted to do in college?"

Shego looked up at the ceiling pensively. "No, I actually started off as a history major, but realised after my first year that graphic design skills would come in handy. I had took some art classes back in high school and was told I was good at it, but I never really pursued the field further until a classmate asked me to design a college frat party poster." Shego laughed.

"Frat party posters don't even have to look good, but the classmate wanted some nice-looking one and had heard I played around with graphics programs during my spare time, so he got me to do his. Alpha phi and beta psi rivalries and all that aside, it turned out pretty nicely and the print shop owner found out my contact information... So I guess you could say I freelanced for a bit - without any formal training, mind you. It's funny though, I ended up graduating with a history degree and go into a field that's completely irrelevant."

"Well, I think you're good at what you do, so regardless of the path you took, here you are." Kim smiled and patted Shego's hand. "What kind of history did you study?"

"History of science and philosophy, which is why I guess I surprised everyone when we were over at your parents' house. I think my brothers have forgotten what I studied in college since I've been doing graphics design for a while... And ended up taking some courses post-graduation to just brush up on current standards and whatnot."

"At least you're still knowledgeable about what you studied. I probably would forget everything history-related since I'd be too worried about the paper. I guess majoring in journalism has really stuck with me."

"I think what's more amusing is that Betty studied English literature yet she's not taking up teaching, but set up her own business. That's sort of messed up, don't you think?"

"Not really, I guess, everyone takes different paths in life and if we end up in a place where we're happy with, we might just stay there. The same goes for career choices."

"I suppose so. I've never admitted this to Betty, but I'm glad our friendship has lasted so long. I sure as hell know I wouldn't have made it through my mess of a life if she wasn't there to help me out."

Kim squeezed Shego's hand. "I'm sure she knows you're grateful even if you don't say it. Not saying something tends to speak volumes in itself."

Shego smiled. "You know, Miss Possible, you are very wise for your age. Are you sure you're not older than me?"

Kim swatted a hand at Shego's arm. She jokingly asked, "Are you calling me old?"

"Oh, maybe I am... But you're old enough to be so wise and cute at the same time." Shego kissed the top of Kim's head and put an arm around the redhead.

Kim grinned and snuggled closer to Shego, making sure to move the now-empty pot of spaghetti to the side. "Sorry if cooking with me was difficult..."

"I don't think I've ever seen you cry, so that was a bit of a surprise," chuckled Shego.

"Well, now you know slicing and dicing onions makes me cry," murmured Kim.

"I'll make sure to chop them instead next time... And give you the duty of handling all of the cooking," laughed Shego. "It's not a bad thing, I thought you looked very cute while crying."

Kim chuckled. "I'm not sure whether you'd think I'm cute when I'm bawling my eyes out."

"You would at least look a lot better than me... When I cry, you'd probably cringe."

"No, I don't think so... If you cry, I'd probably cry with you." Kim shifted so that her head was now lying on Shego's shoulder.

Shego smiled. Kim had often said cute things like this and the older woman honestly believed that the redhead would follow through with her claims.

"Did you want to do anything else aside from eating and lounging on your kitchen floor?" Shego felt Kim shake her head.

"We have work tomorrow, might as well enjoy the rest of the day together. I'm sure Bonnie's going to start harping about preparations for the Christmas edition of the paper."

"Really? Christmas isn't until for a while..."

"She told me to take an extended vacation for Christmas, so I think she wants to get started on it earlier than usual."

"Ah... Have you not taken vacation in a while?"

"Not for the past two years..."

"Did you want to do anything during Christmas?"

"Nothing really comes to mind except spending time with you. Do you normally go back to Go City to celebrate with your family?"

"Yeah, it's probably the only time of year that everyone makes an effort to go back home."

"Ah, ok. I know my mom mentioned Christmas, but if you're heading to Go City..."

"If you want, you can come with me, but you'd still be celebrating Christmas without your family... I don't think your parents would like that."

"I'm sure they'd understand, or we can spend half the holiday at one and the other half at the other's?"

"Yeah, that would work-"

"Wait... Are you sure that'd be ok? I thought we agreed that it might've been too early for you to meet my parents-"

"Kim, at this point, it's fine. What's done is done. And I think the Wegos gossip about me to my other siblings anyway... I got a text from one of them the other day saying how he wants to meet you and everything," shrugged Shego. "Brothers are annoying."

"He wants to meet me?"

"Probably not just him. Knowing Horace, he probably told my parents I'm dating again," sighed Shego.

"I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing..."

"Good for us, obviously. Bad for me in the sense that Horace is rather... Closed-minded."

"And your parents?"

"Open-minded, supportive, probably the best parents in the world." A slight smile crept up on Shego's face as Kim sat up and looked at her girlfriend. "They never really asked questions when I went out with my first girlfriend, they just accepted it - I mean, they didn't love me less because of it. All of my brothers were fine with it too... All except Horace. I sometimes wonder how in the world we're related, but I'm sure my other siblings feel the same."

"Ah, well, not everyone is as accepting. I respect that. I had my fair share of 'straightness' thrown at my face... Even from my dad at one point, but he's gotten over it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he wasn't particularly vocal about it but did hint a few times that I might be better off with a guy."

"Tough, especially if he was rather quiet about it. Horace, on the other hand, tried talking my parents into sending me to a shrink to 'fix me'." Shego noted the surprised look on Kim's face and laughed. "Obviously, he wasn't successful... And was upset for a while that my parents didn't give me a 'talk' about my sexual orientation. Honestly, I don't think they care as long as all of us are happy doing whatever we're doing."

"I think my parents are like that too. I guess my dad didn't really imagine the possibility of me dating girls, so he was pretty surprised when I brought one of them over for a family cookout."

"Heh, I can only imagine his reaction..." Shego looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Do you mind if I ask how many people you've dated in the past?"

"I don't mind... To be honest, there are maybe two I can call an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend and the rest are just 'hey let's hang, but we're not really dating' ones. How about you?"

"One in high school, college was a bit weird since I was in an on-again, off-again kind of relationship, and then there's my hellish six years with my ex."

"It can't have been that all of the years were hellish... I'm sure there are some good times too."

"I think I've just blocked them out because I really can't think of any right now," Shego responded bluntly.

"I... know the feeling. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. You can ask me whatever you want and I'll try to give you an answer..."

"I'm sorry because I was being insensitive, that's all."

"It's fine, really." Shego slowly got up and offered Kim her hand. "Let's clean up?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided not to give Betty a doctorate. *shrug*
> 
> Just a general response to those who have asked me to write longer chapters: I like the current length for most of them (somewhere between 800 to 1500 words) due to how I'm pacing the story. If I make them any longer, I know I would get bored of reading and editing my own writing. ;-)
> 
> Going to maybe put out another chapter before the long weekend ends. Happy Easter'12.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Way Back Into Love (Demo Version)" by Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. I like this version better than the one with Haley Bennett, but you should watch the movie. Cutesy romantic comedy. =)


	35. I'm Yours Now to Explore

After half an hour of cleaning, Kim and Shego were sprawled out on the couch, lazily watching re-runs of The Fearless Ferret.

"I can't believe it's been twenty years since I last saw this. Man, time flies."

"Heh, Ron was a big fan... He had a costume and everything. This, and Snowman Hank..."

"Oh, Snowman Hank... Now we're talking about peewee me watching annual Christmas specials with my brothers."

"Must've been quite a sight."

"Haha, it was."

"I only really watched it because of Ron... We had been BFFs since we were really young, so missing out on Snowman Hank was a very serious thing for him... Despite the fact that he had watched everything many, many times."

Shego shifted slightly on the couch to give Kim some room. "Do you mind if I asked what happened to him? You told me he had passed away..."

"It was an airline accident. I remember that day, it's probably a day I can't ever forget. Ron and Rufus were about to leave Holland and come back home. They were there for a business trip to talk over some deals with a printing press manufacturer. It had snowed the night before, and the pilots forgot to de-ice the plane... So there wasn't enough traction, the pilots were using too much reverse thrust, and it crashed before they could take off properly."

"I'm sorry."

"Some days, I wished it was me instead. Ron was so stressed after his parents died, yet he managed to pile on more work."

"It's a coping mechanism... Distract yourself from reality," murmured Shego.

"I didn't understand it then, but I do now. It's just... I wish I was in his place. It came at a time where my relationship was going down the drain and I didn't have a BFF to help me through it."

"I hate to say it, but what's done is done... We just become better people through all the hardships - at least, that's what I'm told."

"Yeah... I just felt so weak and so vulnerable though. Suddenly I'm relying on Bonnie to help pull the paper through and just realising that we're all human. With our own limitations and problems."

"You know, when I found out my ex was cheating on me, it felt like everything in my world that was once stable but was now crashing down. I had never felt so humiliated. I understand what you mean though. It just feels like we're incapable of doing anything... But, Kim, regardless of all the crap that's been thrown our way, feeling vulnerable is normal... Whether we like it or not."

"I know, but it's just such an uneasy feeling... Fear of the unknown, if you will."

"Agreed," murmured Shego. She hugged Kim and whispered, "Sorry about the change of topic. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

Kim smiled. Shego's always so considerate, she thought. She gave Shego a kiss on the cheek. "It's ok."

Just then, Kim's cell phone rang. She gave Shego an apologetic look as she got up and crossed the living room to answer it. Finding her purse, she fished out her phone and looked at the caller display. Shego wondered who it could've been that made Kim smile do brightly.

"Hana? Yeah, I went back home for Thanksgiving. Oh!" And then a "Yes, I can come get you at the airport... Um, what did they tell you!" Finally a "Oh, you can get to meet her if you want... You do? Sure... So tomorrow at eight, right? Ok, I'll come get you. Do you still want to crash my place? Ok. I don't think that'd be a problem. Ok, ok. See you tomorrow!"

Noticing the confused (or perhaps, jealous?) look on Shego's face, Kim grinned. "That was Ron's sister, Hana. She went off to Paris for culinary school, but it seems like she's done for the semester, so she's coming back to Middleton tomorrow."

"Ah, ok."

"You were worried for a second there, weren't you?"

A slight blush appeared on Shego's cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kim grinned. Shego was just too cute. "You had this terrified look on your face - ok, maybe not terrified, but surprised."

Shego shifted in her seat and stated at the floor. "Ok, yeah, maybe a little bit surprised."

Kim sat down on the couch beside Shego and put a comforting arm around the older woman. "Hana's like a sister to me... She was pretty devastated after Ron died, more so than me. She usually stays with me when she's in town... Would that be a problem?"

"No..." Shego's eyes were fixated on a fascinating piece of Kim's carpet. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to think that-"

Kim silenced her with a kiss. "It's ok. I want you to meet her. She's quite a character and makes a mean tiramisu."

Shego smiled. "Do you want me to come with you to the airport tomorrow?"

"It'll be late - do you know if you'll have a lot of work to do?"

"Maybe... Bonnie wants me to help out with typefacing the Christmas draft."

"Really? Can't Steve do that?"

"Bonnie mentioned something about creative input and direction. I think the poor guy wants to punch her," laughed Shego.

"Haha, typical of Steve... Well, if you don't mind having a late dinner with Hana and me, then you can come with me to the airport to pick her up."

"Sure." Shego stretched and let a small yawn escape.

"Tired?"

"A bit."

"Nap?"

"Now?"

"Why not?" A mischievous twinkle in Kim's eyes appeared.

"Sure." Shego surprised Kim by getting up and picking up the redhead.

"Hey! Put me down!" Kim laughed as Shego carried her to the bedroom.

Gently placing her girlfriend on the bed, Shego smirked. "Bet you didn't know I was strong!"

"...are you calling me fat or heavy?" Kim pouted.

"I'm just saying I'm strong, I don't know what you're talking about," replied Shego as she laid down on the bed.

Kim rolled around the bed as if a hyperactive child trying to dispense all of her energy. "You're indirectly calling me fat," she said playfully.

"Maybe, maybe not," murmured a tired Shego as she used an arm to stop the rolling redhead. Kim instinctively snuggled closer to the older woman who smiled as she drifted off to dreamland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playful, yet still hesitant... and it's time to unpack (most of) the baggage, kiddies.
> 
> The airplane accident is an actual reference to the Air Florida Flight 90 accident of 1982. I didn't want to make it overly dramatic... and this is what happens when I actually tie in things I learn from school into a piece of fiction...
> 
> I keep thinking it's ... midday. I played around with the clocks on my laptop for a school experiment (involving timestamps) to test some batch file codes and now I'm dizzy. (Laptop says it's 11:28 AM, body says it's time to sleep, and the actual time is 01:28 AM.) It still sort of counts that I uploaded this during the Easter long weekend (it ends when I have to go to class, ha!). This should be the last of the rapid updates for now.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Islands" by the xx.


	36. Why Don't You Run

Kim awoke to a familiar ringtone beeping. Shego's phone was on the edge of her bed and she looked at the caller display.

Betty.

Realising that she might overstep some sort of boundary if she took the call, she gently shook Shego. "Shego, your phone..."

"Hnngghh, Kim, I want to sleep in..." mumbled a sleepy Shego.

So cute, thought Kim. "C'mon, it's eight at night and Betty's calling you." Kim gently prodded Shego's side, causing the older woman to jerk wide awake.

"Ow! Huh... Oh." Shego grabbed her phone and answered it. "Yo, what do you want?"

"You sure are cranky," said Betty on the other end.

"Well, you woke me from a nap."

"Rough weekend at the Possibles'?"

"No, it was good. Why are you calling me?"

Betty could hear Kim's voice on the line. "Shego, don't be so rude... She's still your boss..."

"Ah, I get it now," chuckled Betty. "I interrupted something important."

Shego groaned. "Betty, what the hell. No. I was sleeping and the phone rang, so Kim woke me. That's all. Get your head out of the gutter. Goddamnit, woman!"

Betty could hear Kim chuckle and grinned. She sure did know how to irk her best friend. "I was just calling to check up on you. You know, best friends do that regularly."

"I'm fine, fine, just dandy," muttered Shego.

"Good. I'll need you to stop by the office tomorrow morning. I've managed to get us another client and need to go over their requests with you."

"Fine, fine," replied Shego. "What time?"

"Around 11."

"Ok."

"Good, say hello to Kim for me," said Betty before she hung up.

Kim had an amused look on her face even though she had not heard most of the conversation.

"What?" asked Shego when she saw Kim's facial expression.

"Nothing, nothing," replied Kim. "You have to head over to GJ Designs tomorrow?"

"Yeah, Betty said we have a new client and wants to go over the proposed projects with me."

"Ok. Do you want to meet up for lunch or no?"

"Depends on how long this meeting'll take... I'll give you a call?"

"Sounds good."

Shego stretched and looked at the clock on Kim's bedside table. "Wow, I slept right through dinner? That's a first... Usually my naps are about an hour long, not four hours..."

"Do you want to grab food? Or are you planning on heading home right now?"

"Food's good. St. Jude's?"

"Sure. Let's take your car? It'll be better for you to head on home since it's closer and I can just walk."

"It's dark outside... I can double-back and give you a ride home."

"Shego, it's just two blocks..."

"I'd rather you be safe and sound-"

"Shego, are you normally this protective?"

"A bit, yes, but my point is-"

"It's a safe neighbourhood-"

"-I don't want you catching a cold."

"I'll wear a warm coat."

"Just let me drive you home?"

Kim sighed. "Ok, ok."

* * *

Kim poked her sandwich as she sipped her soda. Shego had noticed that Kim was quiet during the drive over.

"Ok, spill, what's on your mind?"

"Why did you have to insist to drive me home, Shego?" Kim didn't seem angry or upset. "I'm fully capable of walking home on my own."

Shego put down her fork (she was eating a salad). "I... I guess it's just how I am. I can get a bit protective at times-"

"-It makes me seem like I'm not able to walk home, with how you put it."

"I didn't mean for it to be like that."

"I know, but you were so insistent..."

"Sorry."

"It's ok. I guess it just made me feel a bit like before... Suddenly doing things on my own isn't considered good since I'm now someone's property-"

"Hold up. Property? I wasn't insinuating anything of the sort, Kim."

"It's not you, it's just how it sort of was back then with my ex. Being blinded by a fake sort of love makes you do stupid things."

"I'll try to be more aware of what I say in the future. But I really want you to know I didn't really mean that you're incapable of walking home. I just want you safe and sound on the way back, that's all."

Kim reached for Shego's hand. "I know, but I guess I'm just trying to shake off things that might continually hurt me. I'm sorry, I'm causing unnecessary drama."

"Don't be sorry," replied Shego as she closed her hand around Kim's. "If anything I should be more vocal about my intentions... And be less insensitive."

"You weren't really being insensitive... Maybe it's just all in my head... After all, it was a reasonable request."

Shego took a sip of her water. "So you'll walk then?"

In all honesty, Kim wanted Shego to spend the night with her, but couldn't bring herself to ask. After all that happened today, Kim did have a good time, but wasn't sure how Shego would react again if she asked her girlfriend to stay.

"Yeah, I'll walk."

Shego merely nodded.

The rest of their late night dinner was finished in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Touching upon random things that couples might fight about... Some drama's good. Not like this is already laced with enough drama for a soap opera. I don't know, I would think that people would get annoyed if their significant others smother (or dote) too much in a relationship?
> 
> Chapter title is from "Run" by Uh Huh Her.


	37. The Foolish Yet Beautiful

There was a knock on Kim's door.

"Come in..."

"Yo, K." A slender brunette waltzed into Kim's office and placed a stack of files for the redhead. "You need to sign these."

"Ok."

"How are your parents?"

"Pretty good... Yours?" Kim flipped through the stack files, paying Bonnie no attention.

"Wreaked havoc with my sisters again. Thankfully, Triple S was calm about it."

"That's good."

"...and...?"

"And what?"

"Sheridan met your parents?"

"Oh, yeah, she did."

"Ok, K, spill. Something's bothering you."

Kim put down the stack of files and knitted her hands together. "Nothing, just had a rough patch last night."

"...about...?" Bonnie looked at her friend. Kim looked like she had difficulty sleeping and her hair was a mess.

"It's nothing I can't handle-"

"Nothing's impossible for a Possible, I know, I've heard it so many times in the past," snapped Bonnie. "Yet, you're spacing out right here and now. It doesn't hurt to talk to me."

Kim sighed. "Sheridan's just a bit protective. We had a disagreement about whether or not I should've walked home yesterday, instead of having her drive me home from St. Jude's."

"That's all?" Bonnie asked amusedly.

"Bonnie, you know how I am when-"

"It's not like she's controlling you or anything, she's just looking out for you. Don't think that she's like _him_."

"I'm not thinking that at all-"

"Oh, so why are you getting upset about it?"

"You don't get it."

"Kim, you're a strong person. More so than any of us with what you had to deal with in the past year. See past your insecurities and you'll probably learn that Sheridan cares about you."

"I'm trying, it's just hard not to be reminded of the past."

Bonnie shook her head. "Try harder, or you'll just find yourself like this again and again, unable to move forward."

Kim frowned. The truth often hurts, and Bonnie had figuratively just slapped her in the face.

"Thanks, Bonnie."

"That's what I'm here for, whipping you back into shape," Bonnie smirked. "So, your parents are ok?"

"With Sheridan? Yeah, I think so."

"And Christmas?"

"Working out the plans."

"Good." Bonnie got up to leave before Kim interrupted her departure.

"Bonnie, I never said this before, but I really do appreciate these talks. It's good to know you're there for me when I need it. So, thank you."

Bonnie's cheeks reddened a bit. "Eh? I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for the paper," she muttered as she stepped out of Kim's office.

Kim smiled. On the odd occasion, she could render Bonnie embarrassed and somewhat speechless.

* * *

Lunch time came and went. Shego had called Kim to tell her she was stuck in a meeting with Betty until late afternoon, but would stop by the Middleton Daily to speak with Bonnie and Steve. Before Kim knew it, it was the afternoon and she found Shego knocking on her door.

"Hey," said Shego as she walked in. "Busy day?"

"It's been ok, no big. Just got a lot of paperwork to go through. How was yours?"

"Betty spent the morning interrogating me about Thanksgiving and then realised we didn't cover anything about the project... Which is why I had to skip lunch... And Bonnie's being mean to me on purpose for no reason at all."

"Bonnie is... Bonnie." I hope it's not because of what I told her earlier, Kim thought.

"Anyway, I stopped by to tell you that, because Bonnie is Bonnie, I can't come with you to the airport. She's got me making revisions to all the typeset pages."

"Oh, ok," replied Kim. "Is it urgent? I mean, you could do them later..."

Bonnie stuck her head into the office. "I heard every single word you said, Sheridan. Don't think you can get away with not doing anything tonight. I don't care that you're going out with Kim - a deadline is a deadline."

"Bonnie, be reasonable. We all just got back from Thanksgiving break. You're only giving Sheridan and Steve another seven hours to make the deadline. Why can't we use what we have?"

"Jack forgot about his job, that's why. He didn't make any changes on Saturday, so someone has to pick up the slack."

"What about the interns?"

"I don't have time to deal with beginners, Kim. We need to make the deadline so we have a paper for tomorrow morning."

"Where is Jack?" asked Kim. "And why didn't anyone tell me about this earlier today?"

"Because it was only when I met with Sheridan that I had noticed something was off. Jack is sleeping off his hangover in the staff lounge. I fired his ass earlier today."

"Bonnie! What did I tell you about firing our employees?"

"I think he deserves it. Come on, Sheridan, Steve's going to be bitching again if we leave him alone for fifteen minutes."

Shego gave Kim an apologetic look and followed Bonnie to Steve's desk. Kim, on the other hand, yelled out, "Bonnie, stop thinking you run the show!"

* * *

"Well?"

"Well, what?" asked Sheridan.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me for saving you from an awkward moment?"

"What awkward moment?"

"The ordeal that Kim would be upset with you if you don't go to the airport with her to pick up Hana."

"You know Hana?"

"I know of her, I know enough about her to know that she's home since her break started."

Shego asked incredulously, "Kim told you all this?"

"Kim doesn't have to tell me anything. I have my sources."

"Bonnie, you're giving me a headache."

"I just know people who know people who hear things, that's all."

"I really don't think Kim would be upset if I didn't go with her. I mean, I'll be able to meet Hana later."

"Whatever."

Shego reached out and tugged on Bonnie's arm before they got to Steve's desk. "I know you care about Kim, but I wouldn't hurt her in any way... I just want you to know that."

Bonnie shrugged off Shego's hand and mumbled, "I know."

* * *

Kim looked around the terminal. There were a lot of happy faces: families going off to tropical places for vacation, lovers reuniting after several months apart, grandparents telling their grandchildren to be careful...

I'm surrounded by so much happiness, Kim thought. Is it time for me to reclaim mine?

She was pulled out of her thoughts when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and saw a lanky teenage girl grinning at her.

"Hana!" Kim hugged the girl and pulled apart quickly to take a good look at her. "Did you lose weight?"

The Japanese girl laughed. "Really, you sound like a mom asking me that. I haven't. In fact, I gained some... This is what happens when you're surrounded by good food..."

Kim smiled. Hannah had grown up to be a very pretty girl. Her BFF's sister was currently sporting a rocker chic haircut with blonde highlights, and was wearing an outfit that made her seem like a Club Banana model.

Maybe Monique should recruit her for a photoshoot, Kim mused.

"Hello? Earth to Kim? Anyone there?" Hana waved her hand in front of Kim's face, bringing the older woman back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was thinking that you're all grown up now..."

"Man, you really sound like an old woman. Did you age another ten years while I was gone?"

Kim laughed and lightly punched Hannah on the arm. "Come on, you, let's go home."

As they were exiting the airport, Hana asked, "So when do I get to meet your mystery lady? Your mom sounded really happy that you're dating again."

"She did, did she?" Kim couldn't keep the amusement out of her voice. Trust her mom to spread the word to the rest of the family, she thought. "Uh, Shego's got work tonight. Bonnie's making her do some overtime tonight."

"Huh? She's working for the paper too?"

"No, she's a graphic designer we contracted, but Bonnie needed her to clean up a mess with typesetting pages for tomorrow's paper."

"Ah... So... How serious are you about this relationship? Have you slept with her yet?"

"Hana!" Kim almost slammed her foot on the car brake in the middle of the intersection.

"What?" exclaimed the bewildered teen.

"Don't ask me these things while I'm driving!"

Hana grinned. "So you did sleep with her..."

"No! I mean, yes, we slept in the _same_ bed, but nothing like what your perverted mind is imagining!" stated an exasperated Kim. The months the teen had been abroad had made Kim forget that Hana was rather inquisitive and blunt.

Kim shook her head as she pulled up to the curb. Turning to face Hana, she said with a straight face, "Shego means a lot to me, so yes, I'm serious about the relationship, but we're both people haunted by pain from the past... So don't ask about my sex life. That's just sick and wrong."

"Wrongsick, like how Ron put it," mumbled Hana. "Sorry, Kim. You know how I can get... And I'm glad you're seeing someone... You got all serious and focused with work that it made you seem kind of like... Well, Bonnie."

Kim laughed. "Speaking of whom, I should call and see if Shego's done work..." Kim turned on her flashers and fished her cell phone out of her bag.

* * *

Shego rubbed her eyes. Just a few more pages to go. She looked to the man beside her - Steve was a rather vocal man: he would give Bonnie a piece of his mind whether she wanted it or not. All in all, he was a nice guy, did his job when asked, and thankful that Shego was around to help him out.

"Need more coffee, Sheridan?" he asked when he saw her looking over.

Shego shook her head. "Almost done."

"Same here. I'm seriously hoping we get overtime for this. Jack really screwed things up."

"It didn't really warrant him being fired by Bonnie, did it?" Shego asked inquisitively.

"Oh, it did. He hasn't been doing a good job recently, so to say this was long overdue is an understatement. Kim would disagree though."

"Really?"

"You've seen how Bonnie and Kim work. They don't necessarily see eye-to-eye on a lot of things; Bonnie's got a sharp business sense but not much sympathy. Don't get me wrong, Kim's good at what she does, but she's just a bit more human than the rest of us. Jack had a bit of a drinking problem after his divorce... So I'm not sure how he'd take being laid off since he has to pay for child support and all... But I'm sure Kim cut him a deal. Just enough to cover his expenses and whatnot. She's nice like that, not making much for herself from the paper."

"I see..." replied Shego before her cell phone rang. Looking at the call display, she said, "Sorry, I'm going to take this." She left the room and answered the call in the hallway.

"Hey you," she said as she put the phone to her ear.

"How's everything going?"

"Almost done. Just got another five pages. I'll be done in maybe half an hour."

"Ok. I picked up Hana from the airport, but we're probably just going to head over to my apartment to eat..."

"You're going to cook?" laughed Shego.

The redhead sputtered on the phone. "No! Take-out!"

Shego smiled. "Do you want me to come over?"

"Only if you want. If you're too tired, that's ok, we can go for lunch or dinner together tomorrow."

"Ok, I'll let you know. Need to double-check with Steve and Bonnie if I have anything else to do."

"Sure."

"Ok. Maybe see you in a bit. Bye."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonnie's a softie.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Wired Life" by Meisa Kuroki. I was holding out to see how long it would take me to use a Japanese song as inspiration for a chapter title... I got my answer: 37 chapters... Ending song for the anime 'Ao no Exorcist' (not that I've watched it, I simply follow where the music leads me).


	38. You Can't Break

"You guys are so..."

"So... What?" asked Kim as she drove to St. Jude's.

"So hesitant with each other. You're way too formal with her. You guys don't even have pet names for each other?"

Kim shook her head. To be young and carefree again, she thought. "We're both like this. I see nothing wrong it."

"Man, Kim, don't act like a tightwad all the time. I know you were hurt pretty badly but it doesn't help to show a bit more affection for your girlfriend."

"I really think everyone's different with these sorts of things. Not having pet names doesn't mean I'm not showing her any affection... Besides, it's not a 'wham-bam!' relationship. I'd like to think we're both looking for something long-term, so it takes time to get to really know someone... With or without the pet names. Regardless of how formal you think we are, I think we're close..."

"All right, I'll get off your case about this. I'll see when I meet her."

Kim nodded. While it was nice to have Hana to talk about her relationship, she didn't like it when people were judgemental about the relationship before meeting Shego and getting to know the older woman for who she is. She pulled up to the curb outside St. Jude's and told Hana to sit for a bit. "I'll be right back with some food and we'll head up to the apartment."

Kim was gone for maybe five minutes before Hana heard a beeping sound. It was Kim's cell phone. She looked at the caller display and saw the name "Sheridan."

Do I pick up or what? Kim's not here, she thought. If she didn't pick up, Shego might think Kim was avoiding her. If she picked up, she had no idea what to say. Well, in the end, I'm going to meet her anyway, Hana thought.

"Hello."

* * *

Shego pulled the phone from her ear. Was this Hana? Why is she answering Kim's phone? Did something happen?

"Hi... Are you Hana?" Shego asked hesitantly.

"Yep, Kim went into St. Jude's to grab some food, but she left her cell phone in the car." For further clarification, Hana added, "With me."

"Oh, ok. I was just calling to let her know that I'm done work... And I guess I'll be coming over."

"Ok." After a pregnant pause, the girl on the other end added, "She's told me a bit about you... I guess we'll finally meet."

"Yeah... Kim's told me a bit about you too... I hear you make a mean tiramisu."

Shego heard the girl on the other end chuckle. "That's my least favourite thing to make, but Kim really likes it."

Shego smiled. She could imagine Kim pouting for tiramisu. "Haha, I think she might get you to make one while you're here."

"Oh, I totally expect it to happen. Oh, ok, Kim's got the food... Huh?"

Shego heard a muffled conversation and then Kim's voice speak.

"Hey, just got the food. I guess it was a good thing I got enough for three people."

"Yeah, I was just calling to let you know I'd be over."

"Ok, sounds good. See you in a bit-"

Shego smiled as she heard Hana shout "See ya!" before Kim ended the call.

* * *

Shego pulled up outside of Kim's apartment. She was a bit nervous, but not as nervous as when she met the Doctors Possible. Kim only really mentions that Hana was Ron's sister who was studying abroad.

Now that she thought about it, she and Kim didn't seem to have that many friends outside of work. So this would be the first time that Shego would be meeting someone she wouldn't run into every work day.

I wonder what kind of girl this Hana is, she thought as she took the elevator up to Kim's suite. Is she perky? She sounded kind of chipper over the phone... Hopefully not the annoying teenager type... Those really annoy me, being all naive and oblivious about the world... But I guess she must also be a tough kind of girl, having lost her parents and only brother at such a young age.

Shego knocked on the door. She heard the shuffling of feet on the other side and saw a tall black-haired teen giving her a look-over.

"Hana, don't be rude and let Shego in."

The teen blinked and put out her hand. "Hi. Hana Stoppable."

"Sheridan Godeaux," replied Shego as she shook Hana's hand. "Except everyone generally calls me-"

"Shego, right?" The teen stepped aside to let the older woman enter the apartment. "You know, I sort of expected you to be a bit... Mean-looking."

Shego raised a brow. "Mean-looking?"

"Yeah, kind of like this face you're making right now... Sort of like a look of disgust, but still classy..."

Kim laughed from inside the kitchen. "You're so rude, Hana."

"What? I'm just trying to get a feel of what Shego's like. Is that a crime?"

Shego was bewildered. Hana was crass. Really crass. "And who are you to judge who I am?" snapped Shego.

"See, Kim? This is the kind of spunk I expect from your girlfriend," laughed Hana.

Kim walked out to where the two were and put a hand on Shego's arm. "She's just joking with you... I think. You know how teenagers are."

"In all seriousness, I was kidding, Shego. It's nice to meet you."

Shego crossed her arms. "You sure didn't seem like you were joking. Are you like this to everyone you meet for the first time?"

Hana shook her head. "No, only to whomever Kim goes out with-"

"Hana!" hissed Kim. "I'm not a child that needs coddling. And you shouldn't really judge Shego based on appearances."

"You need someone to look out for you," interjected the youngest woman. "How can you be sure that Shego-"

"Hana. Stop." Kim pinched her brow and sighed. "Can we just eat? The two of you can interrogate each other later. All of us have had a long day."

Hana was about to say something and then closed her mouth. "Ok," she mumbled.

Shego raised an eyebrow and gave Kim a questioning look.

"Let's just eat, ok?" Kim took Shego by the hand and led them all to the dining table.

* * *

"You know, Shego, you're not bad," said Hana as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"You're not bad yourself, just a bit rude," muttered Shego.

The three women had spent the night just chatting (after Shego got over the fact that Hana was blunt and simply rude with some of her questions). Kim was cleaning things up in the kitchen, leaving Hana and Shego to talk things over.

"Regardless of how rude I am, I've gotta ask... Why Kim?"

Shego blinked. "Why Kim?"

"You seem like someone who could turn a few heads, if you get what I mean. Why settle for someone like Kim?"

"One, it's not really settling if we're just two people who are similar in ways, and two, she's really supportive and caring."

"...and that's all you need in a relationship?"

"Apart from trust and loyalty, yes. Look, Hana, I'm not sure how much Kim has told you about me, but I come with emotional baggage that Kim's been able to get me through. And I'd like to say the same about me and her situation... But I'm not sure."

"This is the happiest I've seen her in months, Shego. I didn't mean to offend you with the question... I just wanted to see how you would respond to it." Hana smiled.

"Oh," replied Shego.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd still whoop your ass if you hurt Kim. I know some kung-fu moves that would make you wish you never crossed paths with me." Hana looked wistfully in the kitchen where Kim was drying the dishes and said, "She's basically a sister to me, even with the whole deal with her family taking me in after my parents died, and I don't like to see her hurt. But you? You're good. A lot better than what I imagined."

Shego raised an eyebrow. "Better than a mean-looking bitch?"

"Shego! Language! Why are you swearing at Hana?" Kim had not heard the earlier portion of the conversation and had just walked in when Shego swore.

Hana laughed. "Relax, Kim, I know my swear words in English. And in French. It's all good."

"Shego, why did you- you know what, never mind, I don't know what goes on in Hana's head sometimes, so I'd better not ask," commented Kim.

Hana gave Kim a cheeky smile and winked at Shego. "Anyway, I think I'm going to crash... Jetlag and all."

Kim nodded. "The guest room is all yours."

"It was nice meeting you, Shego. Go and be the bitch!" said Hana as she fist-pumped her way over to the guest room.

"What was that about?" asked Kim as she looked on at Hana's retreating form in disbelief.

"She thought I was some super snarky bitch, that's all," laughed Shego. "I guess she thought I'm some kind of badass girlfriend... Or something like that."

"You'll be a badass girlfriend if you keep up with the swearing," chuckled Kim. "I'm glad you guys aren't at each others' throats. Hana is a bit protective with me... Kind of like my dad, I guess."

"I could tell, both of them don't want to see you hurt." Shego scratched the back of her neck. "I understand that though."

"Don't let Hana scare you off though, she's a really sweet girl once you get to know her. A bit brash at times, but that's how she is."

Shego nodded and yawned.

"Long day?"

"It was long when I was in the office. Steve and I finished everything, so I think Bonnie's glad she got me to be around."

"That's good. I hope this won't happen again."

"Did you talk to Jack?"

"I did, and I made a note to HR not to fire him... Bonnie really doesn't think things through when she's mad. I've just reassigned him to a less stressful department and if he wants, he can go back to typesetting later."

"Ah, Steve mentioned you would be a lot nicer with Jack..."

"I know of his personal issues and while I think Bonnie's right in letting him go due to poor performance, he still needs job security to pay for child support. I just like to see the bigger picture - not just with the business, but the overall well-being of the people employed at the paper."

"You're so kind... I don't see how anyone can harbour any animosity against you," commented Shego as she took Kim's hand.

Kim let out a bitter laugh. "Believe me, I have more enemies than you'd think." She squeezed Shego's hand. "It's ok though, I'd rather the employees be happy... That's all what we want, right? To be content with our lives, regardless of what shitstorm comes our way."

"I think you're the badass girlfriend in this relationship, Miss Kimberly Ann Possible. So much swearing tonight," teased Shego.

Kim laughed and fist-pumped the air. "Badass girlfriends, unite!"

Shego grinned and leaned in to kiss Kim. "Badass, indeed."

Kim smiled as Shego's lips found their way to hers. "Stay the night?"

"Sure. Though I should grab my overnight bag from the car."

"You brought an overnight bag?"

Shego shrugged. "Sleepovers, remember? Got to be prepared in case you ask."

Kim's response was a really big smile.

"I'll be right back," said Shego as she headed out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sleepovers, they begin?
> 
> I'm still not sure how to characterise Hana since we don't see much of her older self at all in the series. Making this up as I go.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Stupid Girl" by Garbage, in relation to Hana's headstrong attitude. Be the bitch. Rawr.


	39. Compassion's A Flaw

Shego awoke to the smell of... Pancakes? She groaned as she rolled over to her side. She put out a hand and felt around the bed. Realising that Kim wasn't with her, she cracked open her eyes. The room was really bright thanks to the fact that Kim had drawn open the curtains and her bed was covered in white linen.

"Kim?" mumbled Shego as slowly got up.

"I'm in the bathroom, Shego," was the muffled response. Shego could hear the brushing of teeth and gargling of mouthwash before the redhead emerged from the bathroom.

"Sleep well?" asked Kim as she sat at the edge of the bed closest to Shego.

"Mmhmm" was Shego's response before she smothered Kim with kisses.

The redhead chuckled. "What was that for?"

Using a hand to try to untangle her hair, Shego simply commented, "It's nice to wake up and not be alone, that's all."

"Aww," said Kim as she gave Shego a kiss on the nose. "Then we should do this more often-"

"OY, LOVEBIRDS! STOP YOUR LOVEFEST AND GET UP! BREAKFAST'S READY!" shouted Hana from the kitchen.

Kim laughed at the surprised look on Shego's face. "She woke up early to make you her signature pancakes."

"That's nice of her... But, "lovefest", really?" chuckled Shego.

Kim smiled. "Go clean up and I'll let her know you'll be at the table in a few."

* * *

"Finally, were you guys gunning for a snogging marathon or something?" asked Hana as Shego entered the living room.

Shego gave Hana an amused look. "Yes, we were having such a workout that I didn't even hear you shout. Kim's _that_ good."

Kim's reaction made both Hana and Shego burst out in laughter: she turned a very deep shade of red.

Kim sputtered, "She- Shego! We did nothing of the sort!" She gave Shego a 'I'll get you for that' look and turned to Hana. "Stop twisting things around!"

To which Hana simply responded, "What's life without a little fun and games?" The youngest winked at Shego, who then smirked.

"What'll you have, Shego? I've got regular pancakes and chocolate chip... Kim really should go grocery shopping... Most of the things in her pantry aren't edible..."

"Original, since Kim said they're your signature pancakes."

Hana gave Shego a heaping of pancakes and passed Kim a plate of both types. "Well, dig in!"

"This is really good," said Shego in between mouthfuls. "I really like the syrup."

"Homemade." Hana nodded as she ate. "Sooooo... Do both of you have work today?"

Kim shrugged. "I didn't have anything planned for today."

"I have to be at the office for a meeting with Betty and a new client, but Bonnie told me last night that I don't have to be at the paper today."

"Cool, so I guess we can all hang later? Not much has changed since six months ago, right?" asked Hana.

"I don't think so, but I think you should stop by the Space Centre to say hi to my dad," commented Kim. "And maybe the hospital too..."

"In that case, why don't I just stop by the house for dinner?"

"Ah, good point. I'll give them a call and see if they're free."

"Would you be coming, Shego?"

Shego looked like she swallowed a lemon or something sour. "Ah..."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," said Kim. She gave Shego an apologetic look (more to do with the fact that Hana was causing a bit of trouble with her arrival).

"I'll pass this time, mostly because it's a family thing... They haven't seen Hana for a few months, so I'm not sure whether I'd be able to contribute to any dinner conversations..."

"That's a load of bull. I'm sure we'd have some stuff to talk over-"

"Hana, don't force her into anything. You started this, if she doesn't want to go, she doesn't have to go," sighed Kim. "Why are you so difficult?"

"I like to stir up some controversy, Kim, you know that," winked Hana. "It's cool, Shego, Kim and I can have a jolly good time with the scary doctors."

Kim shook her head as Shego chuckled. Looking at the kitchen clock, Shego cleared her throat. "It's almost ten, I should head over to the office before Betty yells at me for being late." She turned to Kim. "I'll give you a call later?"

Kim nodded as Shego got up and collected her things from the bedroom. Hana took her cue and started cleaning up the dining table.

"See you, Hana. Don't cause too much trouble!" said Shego as she exited Kim's apartment, after giving her girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'll try not to!" shouted Hana.

When she was done cleaning the dishes, she found Kim sitting on the sofa. "What's up?"

Kim tossed Hana a pair of keys. "I know you're probably going to call up your Middleton friends, so here's the keys to get through the main lobby doors and into the suite."

"Gee, thanks, but you know I could always stay elsewhere-"

"Hana, no. I'd rather you stay here. I promised my parents to look after you whenever you're back in the city."

"Ok... Did you give Shego keys too?"

The question threw Kim off by a mile. "No... Not yet anyway."

"Seems like you like having her over... And probably vice versa."

"That'd be another big step," Kim stated matter-of-factly.

"Sleeping over on random nights isn't, moving in is a bigger step, Kim." Hana sat down on the couch next to her 'sister'. "Come on, what's stopping you from taking things to the next level?"

Kim shrugged. "I like how things are going right now. No sense in rushing through things."

"I get that, but hey, like I said before, what's life without some fun?"

"I wish I had your carefree attitude," Kim sighed.

"You know it's not entirely carefree..." Hana sighed. "You put up with my madness... But there's always a reason for one's madness, right? I miss them. A lot. I might not show it, but I do. Every day."

"I know." Kim put an around Hana. "I miss your brother's jokes and Rufus' attempts to pig out on nachos."

"I'm sorry if I was really rude to Shego. I just... Don't really want to lose anyone else. I don't want to lose the real you and have you so broken up again."

Kim smiled. Despite the age difference, Kim sometimes felt like the younger sibling. Hana knew all the ways of coddling the redhead, and Kim didn't mind the attention. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that females probably got along better when they had "issues" to talk about, and that Kim was much better at opening up to a female than a male friend. "Don't worry too much about me. If you did that all the time, you'd probably miss out on a lot of things in your own life, Hana."

"Basically, you just told me that you're a big girl who can handle it and I can go off and live my life?"

"Sort of. I'm fine, Hana, really. Shego's been good to me, and hopefully I to her."

"Ok." Hana gave Kim a hug. "Are you going to call your parents now?"

"Yeah, just give me a few minutes and I can probably catch dad in his office. Mom's probably got some surgeries to attend to... Maybe she'll do that weird thing and put us on speakerphone."

* * *

Will looked up from his desk as Shego entered the office. She looked a bit flustered. He glanced at the clock.

She was late for her meeting with Betty and their new client.

He shook his head. Her tardiness seemed to have worsened ever since she started that contract job at the Middleton Daily.

He rolled his eyes. It was probably that Kim Possible woman. He had seen the subtle looks of affection passed between the two women during the company meetings. Being one to be up-to-date with the city news, Will felt that no good would come from that Kim Possible woman. She appeared to have a karma that would sour relationships, so Will shook his head disapprovingly as he watched Shego slowly enter Betty's office.

But, who was he to judge? Shego came from a mess of her own (yes, even he knew). Betty had told him to not be such a jerk to Shego during her first week on the job, but who was he to take orders about how he should behave? At the very least, he was his critical self when the woman started drumming her fingers on the desk while working.

"Mss Godeuax, if you please, all this drumming won't help you with your job. It's affecting my performance. I cannot concentrate with this noise," Will had said.

Her response had startled him.

"Well, I could take these two fingers and shove it up your-"

"Shego." Betty had emerged from her office and was glaring at Will (the nerve, really, he had done nothing wrong!). "Behave. Will, your remarks are much appreciated. Shego won't do anything of the sort for the remainder of the day."

"Just today?" he had asked, only to receive a death glare from Betty's single eye.

"Will, come into my office," his boss had said. The pale woman known as Shego had stuck out her tongue at him in defiance as he got up from his desk.

The door closed and there he was, alone in this room with a woman several years his senior who looked like she adorned the battle scars of martyrs in the business world.

"There's a few things I want you to understand about Shego before you work with her," Betty had said. "You must, under no circumstances, ask her about her personal life-"

"I have no interest in that whatsoever, yours as well," he had calmly replied.

Betty smirked. This was what she liked about Will - he was straight to the point and couldn't tell the difference between sarcasm and seriousness if his life depended on it.

"Anyway, I'd like you to be less of a cynic towards her."

He stared at Betty.

"At least for these first two weeks. She's going through a rough patch."

"I see. And what if her rambunctious behaviour triggers a reaction that is not desired?"

"Speak in plain English, Will," Betty had waved her hand at him. "You might not face what she has in store for you then."

"I hardly think that such a carefree woman with an impressive portfolio can do me any harm," Will had deadpanned.

"You'll be in for quite a shock then," Betty had said.

'Shock' was an understatement when Will had accidentally wondered out loud to himself during his lunch break. "What kind of woman with such a portfolio want to do in such a dinky town?" he had said, and Shego had overheard.

The eruption of emotions ranging from anger, sadness, disgust, and then more anger were exhibited to this young man of twenty six - perhaps scarring him to no point of return. He had told his mother that he had "no interest in women whatsoever" whenever she called to check up on him - something that he continues to uphold to this day; whether or not it was a direct consequence of Shego's eruption, he honestly had no interest whatsoever in relationships. Shego's display of human emotions had demonstrated the fallacies of "relationships" - oh no, he much preferred the solitary atmosphere of dining alone, making time for his hobbies (building ships in bottles), and spending his free time unattached and uncommitted.

So, now, as he sat and pondered how a year had flown by, he came to the realisation that the banter between him and Shego encouraged constructive cooperation between them. The competitive atmosphere between the two allowed them to meet deadlines quickly, but not hinder quality (be it balancing books or coming up with designs), so he was grateful for Shego's involvement with the firm.

While he was not sure how Kim will fit into the future of GJ Designs, and whether her presence would offer any benefits, he was certain that Shego needed to concentrate with her job. And that is what he will tell her after this client meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will is reflecting on Shego's first week... Hence the past tense. He's not exactly a robot... Maybe.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Robot Boy" by Linkin Park.


	40. Faster Than Time

"Shego, can I have a word with you?"

Shego looked at Will. Her younger colleague looked back at her impassively. Hesitantly, she replied with a "Sure."

Their new client had just left - a local pizzeria was looking to redo their logo and some of their lunch menus - and Betty had left the two to themselves for the rest of the afternoon.

"What is your relationship with Miss Possible?" Will asked.

Shego narrowed her eyes. Either he was going to rant about how relationships were a waste of time, or find some way to insult Kim using his strange words and phrasing. "I think it's pretty obvious that I am seeing her. What of it?"

"I have noted that, for the past fifteen weeks, your tardiness to meetings has worsened... And that you no longer come into the office to work on your projects," Will coolly stated.

"What business of it is yours to keep tabs on my private life? One, Betty has stated before that I am welcome to work at home if I want, and two, no one's going to flip their shit if I'm late for a meeting or two."

"I am not keeping tabs on your life. I am simply stating the facts. Your focus in work appears to be suboptimal. I am merely indicating that you should pay more attention-"

"You know what, Will? I appreciate the concern, but not everyone here wants to be employee of the month." Shego nodded her head in the direction of Will's stack of 'Employee of the Month' certificates. Honestly, Betty should have never started these things to keep him motivated, Shego thought.

Will shook his head. "That is not my reason for this talk. I am talking about your performance. You appear to be distracted."

"Will, why do you even care?" sighed Shego.

"I am merely concerned about the future of GJ Designs if its principal designer is unable to deliver."

"That's as close as you calling me a friend and telling me you're worried about my well-being, huh?" laughed Shego. "Look, Will, don't worry about me. I got it."

"As you wish," said Will as he returned to his work.

Shego smiled a bit. Maybe he's not much of a robot after all.

"Hey, Will?"

"Yes?" he said replied without looking up from his spreadsheet.

"Thanks," said Shego as she got up and headed out the door.

Will turned around to see only the door close. And he smiled.

* * *

"So then I grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed that sucker down. Too bad my soufflé was ruined," laughed Hana.

The Doctors Possible laughed as Hana concluded her story of creating a monster soufflé, only to have it explode everywhere in the oven. The twins were still in town for the end of the week, and they were sitting at the end of the table talking about some astrophysical equation that could possibly be proved wrong.

"Kimmie-cub?"

Kim looked up from her plate. She was unconsciously rolling the peas on her plate around with her fork.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Where's Shego?" James asked.

"Ah, I guess she was busy-"

"-she didn't want to come, felt like it was more of a family thing since I'm back for a few weeks," interjected Hana.

Kim sighed. "Hana..."

"Kimmie-cub, you know Shego's welcome to come over whenever she likes."

"I know, but she wanted to give you guys a chance to catch up with Hana since it's been a while since she's been back home."

"That's considerate of her," Anne replied.

"Or, you both scared her during Thanksgiving," laughed Hana.

"I hope we didn't," said James. "She seems like a nice girl, a bit timid, but her brothers insist that it takes some time to get to know her."

"I guess... She's got a bit of attitude and spunk too," Hana added.

"That's only because you aggravated her," replied Kim. "Can we not talk about this anymore? Shego's got her own reasons for not coming and that's that."

"Ok, Kimmie," said her mother. "Boys, what are you doing?"

The twins were building some sort of structure with just their forks (and mashed potatoes as an adhesive).

"How many times have I told you not to play with your food?" sighed Anne. "Really, to think you're both twenty two..."

"Mom, think of it as we're just furthering our knowledge of physics," laughed Jim.

"And, not to mention, your mashed potatoes are fantastic. So fantastic that it's just begging us to be moulded into structures."

Anne looked to her husband and murmured, "I think they got all of their 'genius' from you," which garnered chuckles from everyone at the table.

"Boys, just eat the food, ok?" James laughed. He turned to Hana. "So, anything new in Paris?"

"Not really... Some of my teachers are totally not fun... They're pretty strict with everything... My carefree spirit continues to get into trouble every now and then."

As she went into the kitchen to retrieve dessert, Anne commented, "I hope not too much trouble..."

"Don't worry, I've got it all handled," Hana grinned. "Besides, it's all good as long as I'm still in school and making awesome food."

"Speaking of which," said Tim.

"This cake looks amazing," finished Jim. Anne had just brought out a chocolate mousse cake that Hana made when she came over in the afternoon.

"I was so glad to find things I could bake with when Kim and I came over in the afternoon... You cannot believe the state of Kim's kitchen," groaned Hana. "She basically has no food! Not even in the pantry."

"Kimmie-cub, you shouldn't always eat so much take-out," commented her father. "All that salt is not good for you."

"Kim... Do you want to go grocery shopping with me later in the week?" asked Anne. "I can at least give you some pointers about what to make with your busy schedule."

"No thanks, I should be ok... Hana came back at a time where all the food was eaten anyway... Leaving and staying here for Thanksgiving and all."

"That's true... I think," replied an amused Anne. Kim's logic often confused her at times, but as long as her daughter was happy, getting enough sleep and eating (somewhat) healthily, that was all that really mattered.

* * *

Maybe Kim was annoyed with her, Shego thought. Opting to not go to dinner at the Possibles' was ultimately _my_ choice... But why do I feel like I let her down in a way? I can only handle meeting the parents in small amounts. It's not like they were _that_ scary...

Shego rolled to her side and stared at the moonlight seeping through her curtains. She had called Kim after she left GJ Designs to tell the redhead that she decided not to come along.

"Hey."

"What's up?"

"Busy with Hana?"

"No, she called up a few friends and they went to catch up... She'll be back in a few hours, I think."

"Oh, ok... Listen, about dinner..."

"You don't have to come if you don't want to..."

"Ok... I was thinking of skipping this time 'round since your family would probably want to catch up with Hana."

"Ok, that should be no problem."

"What time will you be back?"

"Not sure... I guess I can give you a call when we're leaving. We're probably going to head over there in the afternoon since Hana mentioned she wanted to bake something for dessert."

"Ok. Whatever works for you. Sorry again."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

But Shego did not get a call, not even a text.

She looked at her bedside clock. 11:00PM. Why was she in bed so early?

Is this what I've been reduced to? Waiting for a call? Lying around until I have something to do with my girlfriend? Is this what I've always done? Waiting around, hoping someone would call... Hoping that I can busy myself and not see how pathetic I am?

A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts.

Should I answer it? I'm really not in the mood.

"Shego..." came the muffled voice of her late night visitor.

Shego shuffled her way over to the door quietly. Looking through the peephole, she saw the familiar flame of red hair. Unlocking the door, she found Kim rubbing her eyes.

"Hey... Did I wake you?"

"Not really." Shego smiled. "What are you doing here? I thought you were at your parents' for dinner."

"I was, but Hana really got on my nerves because she wouldn't stop talking about you."

"Me?" Shego moved aside to let Kim in. "Do you want anything?"

"Tea would be nice," said Kim as she took a seat. "Yeah, Hana was going on and on about the different reasons as to why you didn't come and why I should've made you come."

"I see... And what did your parents say?" Shego set down two cups and sat beside Kim.

"Not much, they did ask, but I think they got the point that you all had just met and it was probably better to catch up with Hana since they hadn't seen her for about six months."

"So what's troubling you?"

"Hana likes to meddle."

"Oh... I sort of figured that from this morning and last night..." The kettle started whistling, so Shego got up to fetch it off the stove. Pouring boiling water into both of their cups, Shego continued, "She's a bit blunt, but I guess that's how teenagers are these days. As for meddling..."

"She asked me a bunch of things she shouldn't have asked."

"Young people these days are rather inquisitive-"

"-Whose side are you on?" laughed Kim.

"Kim," Shego patted Kim's hand, "I'm just trying to rationalise things out... It might just be that Hana is curious about the nature of our relationship."

"Which is what... Right now?" Kim used her free hand to twirl strands of her hair around, as if expecting Shego to give her a definitive answer.

Shego leaned back in her chair. "It is whatever it is... I'd rather just let things unfold instead of forcing things. If I say something, we'd end up trying to mould the relationship into something we might not even like... so why categorize or put a label on it? Yes, we're dating, but that's as far as I'd like to go with labelling. There's always some sort of fascination with just 'going with the flow'... Ah, I'm rambling... What do you think?"

Kim continued to twirl her hair. "I don't know, to be honest. I'm just taking it day by day, but Hana is just-"

Shego used her other hand to stop Kim from ruining her hair. "Since when should _we_ -" Shego emphasized the word heavily "-let a teenager dictate the pace and outcome of _our_ relationship?" Shego squeezed Kim's hand. "You said she asked a bunch of things she shouldn't have asked. My guess is ... she asked you if we've slept together. Is that's what's bothering you?"

Kim shrugged. "This isn't like my other relationships-"

"-It is unique in its own way-"

"-The pacing feels just right, so I don't see any point in moving so fast... Actually, I don't think I've ever moved 'fast' in a relationship-"

"-Teens are just curious about sex in general," laughed Shego. "The Wegos sure as hell asked me a lot of questions when I was with my exes. 'Did you sleep with her?' or 'Well, you totally came home this morning, you definitely slept with her' and the whole 'Oh, you totally slept with her, you're glowing.' They were always joking with the questions, but I guess they also wanted to know too."

"Isn't that awkward? To talk about this sort of stuff...?"

Shego shrugged. "Depends on how close you are with the person. Doesn't feel as weird if it's a BFF I'm talking to, but yeah, it's weird having a sibling or two know about my sex life... Which wasn't always as wild and crazy as one might think being in a relationship that lasted so long."

"I see... I don't know, Hana's just been asking me a bunch of things and I feel like I haven't lived up to being the 'ideal' girlfriend because I haven't done those things."

"You do whatever you want, Kim. No pressure. If you feel bad, then I should just as well feel bad. We need to reciprocate our feelings but... Honestly, you shouldn't let the things Hana ask you bother you... It's your life. Live it to the fullest and know that living up to someone else's expectations isn't truly living."

"I'm just afraid of doing something wrong or not doing anything at all... And it might cause you to be frustrated with me."

"Don't be like that." Shego patted Kim's hand. Noticing that the redhead had finished her mug of tea, she asked, "Want more?"

Kim shook her head. "I'm good. Is it ok if I sleep over tonight? Hana's sleeping over at my parents' for the night, but I managed to get away since I told them I had to be at the paper first thing in the morning. My dad'll give Hana a lift to the space centre in the morning so I don't have to go pick her up from the house..."

"Sure," replied Shego. "Do you need anything? I think I might have some PJs that fit you..."

"It's ok." Kim patted a bag beside her - Shego had not noticed it when the redhead came in. "Taking a page out of your book. I brought an overnight bag."

Shego chuckled. "You wanted to come over anyway... And knew I wouldn't turn you down."

Kim smiled. "Yup."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will isn't exactly a robot, Kim is frustrated with Hana, and Shego's insecurities might take a different form later...
> 
> Forty chapters and... I guess there's progress with the relationship. The end is not in sight just yet, however. I don't even know how it's even possible I've written so much already, but this is all the updates for this week.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Rebecca" by Tesla Boy. New Wave music is always fantastic.


	41. Complicated Overcast

"Shego."

"Hm?" The older woman rolled onto her side to look at Kim.

"What do you think of pet names?" Kim was staring at the ceiling, so Shego couldn't read the redhead's facial expression in the dark as the question was asked.

"You mean, terms of endearment?"

"Yeah."

"I don't particularly hate them, nor do I love them. Why?"

"Hana mentioned that we were... stiff with each other..."

"Because we don't have pet names for each other?" Shego chuckled. "Her logic is funny."

"It is." Kim smiled and rolled to face Shego. "What would you call me, if you wanted to..."

Shego grinned. "'Pumpkin'? Or maybe 'Princess'?"

"I'm hardly a princess-"

"-Ah, but I'd do my best as your knight in shining armor to take care of you."

"You're sweet."

"I try."

"And 'Pumpkin'?"

"Well, you do have red hair..."

"Wouldn't 'Pepper' or some red vegetable be better?"

"Kim, don't ruin the moment," laughed Shego. "I don't know... 'Pumpkin' and 'Princess' seem to suit you."

"Ah... Ok, then."

Shego snuggled closer to Kim on the bed. Their faces were almost an inch apart. "Kim, I'm not lying... I will try my best to take care of you."

Kim smiled and murmured, "I know" as she leaned in for a kiss.

"So you have no pet name for me?" chuckled Shego.

"I can't think of anything that might not sound revolting when I say it aloud in public..."

"Haha, revolting? I doubt it."

"It would sound weird if I call you 'babe', wouldn't it?"

"Not really, but it doesn't sound as... Special...?"

"It is pretty generic..."

"Kim, call me what you want, but I'm fine with just my good ol' name... Don't really need a pet name."

"Ok, Shego."

"That's my name... _You_ can wear it out," Shego yawned as Kim draped an arm over her waist.

* * *

"Hey Shego!"

The woman turned and saw Hana waving at her in the supermarket. "Hana, hey. Getting real food?"

Hana laughed. "Might as well... Kim seriously needs real food in her fridge. Well... Not that it matters much since she's been over at your place for most of the week..."

Shego shrugged. "It's a good thing you eat healthily..." She peered at her own basket of groceries. "I try."

"Are you almost done? Wanna grab coffee?"

"Sure."

* * *

Hana fiddled with her coffee mug. Shego had driven them to one of the coffee shops near the Middleton Space Centre.

"So, what's up?" asked Shego as she sat down with her drink.

"Not much, just been chilling since I've been back. Kim seems to be glued to your place."

"I think she wants to give you space and all... It's been a while since you've been in Middleton."

"I guess... We'd used to hang a lot when I came visit... Not much now... It's like she's avoiding me."

"She's not." Shego took a sip of her caramel macchiato. "I think she's just busy with work."

"Shouldn't you be busy too then?"

"Bonnie gave me the afternoon off. Kim's just been busy since she wants to take a Christmas holiday this year."

"It's odd, you know, whenever I ask about you, she sort of has this annoyed look on her face... Did I do something wrong?" Hana genuinely looked a bit hurt, which made Shego uneasy.

"She told me about your 'questions' about our relationship," Shego said slowly. "While some are just plain funny, there were some that weren't..."

"Oh... So in other words-"

"-In other words, Hana, I think you know your sister's a bit sensitive about certain topics. It's not we're both afraid of commitment, we just have a lot of emotional baggage to move past before we take things further or whatever you assumed about the relationship." Shego sighed. "It's not your fault Kim's been staying over at my place this week... I don't know, we both don't like the feeling of waking up alone, so the company is nice..."

"I was going to say that I shouldn't be too nosy... But I sort of get the feeling of waking up alone." Hana turned to look out the coffee shop's window. "When my parents died, all I had was my brother and Rufus, his pet naked mole rat. And when that accident happened, I think Kim was more devastated than me... We got through it together, but there's always that kind of feeling that I have no one in my life..."

"You have Kim and her family." Shego patted Hana's hand. "And I guess, by association, me too."

Hana turned to look at Shego and smiled. "So I guess I should apologise to Kim..."

"I guess... She's not exactly mad, it's more she just doesn't want to field anymore questions about our relationship... I think."

"Ok." Hana genuinely looked a bit happier. "Oh! By the way, I met your brothers the other day when I was over at the Space Centre with Mr. Possible. They're totally like Tim and Jim... It's a bit scary..."

Shego laughed. "It is... They're all doing some sort of work and research in physics... Both sets are twins... Same age too... Double the trouble..."

"More like four times the trouble... Wait, you came over during Thanksgiving, so they all must've met each other."

"Yep, and they sort of ruined the Possibles' basement." Noticing Hana's amused expression, Shego added, "They were building a proton accelerator and it clearly backfired on them."

Hana laughed. "Mr. Possible also mentioned you had two other brothers... Are they just as wacky or..." Hana noticed that Shego was shaking her head. "Sorry, I ask too many questions..."

"No, it's all right. The craziness is limited to just the twins. Horace, the eldest, is a prick, and Matt... Well, he lives in his own world and isn't as annoying as Horace."

"Must suck being the only girl... I can't really imagine having so many brothers... I remember when my parents first adopted me, Ron definitely didn't like me... He thought his parents would forget about him and just focus on me... But his jealousy was for naught... We got along wonderfully," Hana smiled sadly.

Shego nodded. Kim was right, she thought. Hana's pretty down to earth once you break through her shell. It must have been terrible for her, losing her family not only once, but twice.

"Anyway, having four brothers must be quite an adventure growing up and all..."

"I'm the middle child, I guess. Matt is only a year older than me, and Horace two... To be honest, Horace is the one who stands out of all of us."

"But you said Matt lives in his own world...?"

"He's just conceited. Everything is 'me, me, me' but Horace is a different story. He lives in a world of justice and black and white. To think we're related, sheesh," Shego exclaimed. "Horace actually has issues that I go out with women, not men."

"Ah, the proverbial thorn in your side."

"Yup, he'll be in for a treat if he starts harping on Kim when she comes over for Christmas."

"You're bringing Kim to meet your family?"

"The twins gossip; I've already gotten texts from both Horace and Matt asking to meet her the next time I'm in Go City... So it's surely a given that even my parents know."

"Fun... Or not. Dang, that's tough, having siblings who gossip."

"Doy," Shego remarked. "It shouldn't be too bad. The parents are laid back, Matt would probably tell Kim all about himself and Horace will probably preach to us about how it's wrong we're seeing each other. C'est la vie."

Hana laughed. "You know, you're pretty funny."

Shego smiled as she took a sip from her mug. "I try." Suddenly, she grinned. "How about you come over for dinner tonight?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I don't think Kim would mind. Besides, I don't like this awkward atmosphere between the two of you. You guys are sisters, through thick and thin."

If one could measure the brightness of a smile, one would be blinded by how brightly Hana was smiling. "Sure! Do you want me to prep anything?"

Shego waved her hand. "Nah, I've got it under control." She quietly muttered, "I just hope it's edible..."

* * *

"Kim, I'm home." _Home._ It hit Shego like a tonne of bricks as to what that meant. Kim hadn't really moved in with her - she just liked to spend the nights over, but that also meant that they had dinner, spent the evening in each other's company, and even slept in the same bed. But it wasn't really living together... right? Well, at least not anyway, Shego thought. Kim hasn't really moved any of her stuff over, but just brought changes of clothes in her overnight bag. "Hana's with me, I ran into her earlier today and asked her to come over for dinner."

When she didn't hear a response, Shego frowned. She walked into the living room and found her redheaded girlfriend sprawled over the couch fast asleep. Hana chuckled and commented, "She must be really wiped from work."

"I guess." Shego gently tapped Kim. "Kimmie, wake up."

Kim rolled away from Shego's touch. "Five more minutes..."

Hana stifled her laughter as Shego gently shook Kim. "C'mon, Princess, time to wake up, Hana came over for dinner."

Noticing the inquisitive look that Hana was giving her, Shego mouthed 'What?' as Kim slowly opened her eyes. Hana shook her head in amusement and mouthed the word 'Princess', which then made Shego a bit self-conscious of using the pet name in front of the younger woman.

Kim opened her eyes slowly. "Ah, I must've dozed off after I came over." As she sat up, she noticed that Shego wasn't alone. "Hana? Hey."

"I'll leave you two while I go prep dinner," commented Shego as she disappeared to the kitchen.

"So..." Kim ran a hand through her hair. She knew that Hana probably figured that she was avoiding the younger woman, but didn't know what to say.

It was Hana who initiated the conversation. "Kim... uh, sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier... er, more like for the entire time I've been back. I know you probably got annoyed with me always asking questions about Shego and all, but I just really wanted to make sure you weren't dating another jackass like... like _him_."

"It's fine, Hana... no big, really. I know I probably didn't like the..." Kim paused to use air quotation marks, "...'interrogations' you gave me, but I know it was out of concern that you asked me these things."

"I mean, Shego's actually not bad at all... I ran into her when I was at the store getting some food for your naked fridge and she took me out for coffee and everything. So... I hope you don't mind me crashing here for dinner."

"Why would I mind?" Kim patted to the seat next to hers and motioned for Hana to sit. "Hana, I admit I did get annoyed for a bit, especially when we were over at my parents' place for dinner, but Shego rationalized everything from your point of view... and well, it made me feel like I was being a jerk. I'm sorry for not being around the past few days. I didn't mean to neglect you... I know what that feels like, so sorry for being like that."

Hana smiled and gave Kim a hug. "It's ok, I guess I should've toned everything down a bit... but hey, I think Shego's getting used to having me around, eh?"

Kim laughed. "I guess so! I wonder what she's making..."

The two women got up to peer into the kitchen, where Shego was apparently slaving away at making dinner.

"Shego, do you need any help?" asked Kim.

Her girlfriend just waved her hand without looking at her audience and said, "It's all good, I've got it under control."

"You sure we'll be able to eat it?" Kim teased.

"Definitely," huffed Shego as she opened the oven to put in a dish that was covered in tin-foil.

"What's that?" asked Hana.

"Magic. You'll see in about an hour," smirked Shego. "I'm trying something new. C'mon, let's just hang in the living room for a bit." As she took off her oven mitts and her apron, Kim mused that her girlfriend looked good in that outfit, especially since her hair was tied up in a ponytail.

Noticing the glazed look on Kim's face, Hana laughed and nudged Kim. Snapping out of her thoughts, the redhead found her girlfriend smiling smugly at her. "What?"

Hana and Shego grinned. "Oh, it's nothing," said Shego while Hana replied with, "Nothing, nothing at all."

Hana ran off to turn on the television, leaving a confused Kim to deal with a smug Shego. "Seriously, what? Did I do something strange?" asked the redhead.

Shego put an arm around the redhead and whispered in her ear, "You totally were checking me out as I took off that apron, weren't you? I mean, even Hana noticed..."

Kim turned crimson at Shego's remark and dared not to look her girlfriend in the eye. "I, uh, know when to appreciate the female form," she had found herself saying before Shego grinned and kissed her temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flirty.
> 
> Seriously, Shego with her hair up and in an apron is pretty hot... Or maybe it's just me. Of course she's wearing something underneath, doy.
> 
> I'm not really treating Hana as Kim's BFF's sister, but actually as Kim's sister. Hana's sort of been adopted twice: first by the Stoppables, and the Possibles are now her guardians. (If anyone was wondering why Shego referred to Kim as Hana's sister in the dialogue.)
> 
> Chapter title is from "Everlasting Friend" by Blue October.


	42. One Step Ahead

"Oh. My. God."

"Kimmie, you shouldn't use the Lord's name in vain," chuckled Shego. "Besides, aren't you agnostic?"

Hana laughed. "I think she's just in shock you made lasagna casserole... Which is awesome, by the way." The young woman stuffed another spoonful into her mouth and watched the redhead recover from shock.

"This is delicious! And yes, I'm agnostic, but how else should I have reacted?" asked Kim as she happily dug in.

"'Oh my gosh?', 'Wow!', and 'Holy crap!' would have sufficed," laughed Shego. "Though, crap is far from being holy..."

Kim lightly punched Shego's arm. "It is really good... You sure know how to make all this Italian food..."

"I love pasta and Italian cuisine, so I tried learning how to make some of the dishes when I started college... But this casserole isn't exactly an authentic Italian dish... I didn't really have lasagna-"

"Same thing," mumbled Hana in-between mouthfuls.

Kim laughed. "Says the chef-in-making..."

"People would call me out on the difference, I'm just saying..."

"Regardless, this is absolutely wonderful. Now you can cook for me!" grinned Kim.

Shego shook her head. "Lazy... I'll just give you the recipe and watch you figure it out, Miss I-Cry-When-I-Chop-Onions... Hey! Argh-"

Kim shushed Shego by stuffing a piece of bread into her girlfriend's mouth, causing Hana to snort out in laughter.

"I thought you had gotten over that, Kim... The last time we were in the kitchen, you had no problems with onions," remarked Hana after she managed to breathe in-between chortles of laughter.

"Sadly, I don't think I did..."

"Hey, Sheegz, let's put Kim through an onion workshop or something."

Shego had just finished swallowing the last of the bread stuffed into her mouth when she raised an eyebrow at Hana's new nickname for her. " _Sheegz_? That sounds so..."

"Hip and modern!" Hana winked and gave the older woman a thumbs up.

Shego shook her head in amusement and muttered, "Kids these days with their hip lingo and nicknames." She cleared her throat and said, "Yeah, I'd like to see Kim cry a few more times... She's adorable like that when cutting up onions."

"Cheers to that!" Hana raised her soda can in the air and drank as Kim glared at her.

Shego drank too, but then started choking when Kim made that one face she couldn't handle: her Princess was pouting.

Coughing, Shego exclaimed, "Gah! Kim, no, stop... Too cute. Stop it!" Shego closed her eyes and heard Kim laughing.

Opening her eyes slowly, she found Hana looking at her smugly. "Wow, Kim, I didn't your puppy dog pout had that effect on Shego... Maybe you can get her to do your bidding if you keep pouting at her."

Kim grinned at Hana. "Oh, one day it'll happen..."

What cute little minx, Shego thought. Clearing her throat, Shego asked, "Oh? And what would you make me do?"

"Make me more food!"

"Lazy."

"Give me another serving of this casserole?" Kim handed her plate to Shego who obligingly gave the redhead another portion.

"Shego, you just gave into Kim's demand! So much for being the cool, badass bitch..." commented Hana.

"Hana! No swearing at the dinner table!"

"Yes, momma Kim," mumbled Hana. "So, papa Sheegz, what's for dessert?"

"Uh, make your own sundaes? I didn't really prep anything for dessert, but I do have a lot of ice cream in the freezer, and chocolate sauce somewhere in the pantry."

"Yes to ice cream, but no to manufactured chocolate sauce," replied Hana with a look for disgust. "Do you have any chocolate?"

"I think I have a bar or two of dark chocolate. One second." Shego got up to look around in her pantry cupboard as Hana followed her into the kitchen doorway, leaving Kim alone with the lasagna casserole.

Shego reappeared with two bars of 85% cocoa chocolate in hand. "This good enough?"

"Yup. Just leave the rest to me," answered Hana as she took the bars of chocolate and disappeared into the kitchen.

Shego sat back down in her seat and watched Kim devour her portion of the casserole. "Kimmie, you must really like the stuff... You got sauce on your face."

"Hmm?" mumbled Kim as her mouth was full.

"Right over here." Shego lightly tapped Kim's cheek and smiled smugly. "Let me get that for you." Instead of wiping off the sauce with a napkin, the older woman startled the redhead by leaning in close and licking it off.

"Shego!" whispered a reddened Kim. "What are you doing? Did you just lick my face? Ahhh! Hana's still around! Behave!"

Batting her eyelashes innocently, Shego grinned. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I merely just got the sauce off your face."

"Very cute," Kim said dryly. She was then struck by an idea. She took her fork, which was covered in sauce, and smeared sauce on Shego's lips.

"Hey! What are you-mm-mmgh!"

* * *

"Hey guys, fresh chocolate sau- GET A ROOM, JEEZ!" Hana put down the bowl of chocolate sauce and put her hands on her hips. "Seriously, you're worse than me when I'm making out with someone!"

Kim released her hold from Shego and grinned at Hana. "What? Shego had sauce all over her mouth..." She then realized what Hana had said and asked sternly, "And who have you been making out with?"

Hana chose to ignore Kim and turned to look at Shego, who looked somewhat... frazzled by what had just happened. "Uh, yeah, had sauce all over..." replied the older woman weakly.

Hana shook her head and said, "All right, kiddies, I made chocolate sauce, so let's make our sundaes while it's still warm, otherwise it'll turn into chocolate again. AND DON'T MAKE OUT WITH MORE SAUCE." She then disappeared back into the kitchen to find the ice cream.

Shego snapped out of her daze and began cleaning up the table. She nudged Kim with her elbow and whispered, "Usually, payback's a bitch, but that was quite enjoyable. Good move though, I didn't expect that at all."

Kim grinned. "Two can play the game, Shego. You've met your match."

"I knew that for a while..." smiled the older woman. "Next time, we'll just make sure Hana's not around before we start anything..." Handing Kim a few plates, she said, "Here, can you take this and leave it in the sink to soak? I'll wash them later."

"Ok," replied the redhead.

* * *

"Hey, Kim..."

"What's up?"

"Are you going to stay over at Shego's tonight?"

Kim scrubbed a dish thoughtfully. "No, I'll head back with you... Listen, I'm sorry I haven't been around much. I know how you feel about that and-"

Hana shook her head as Kim passed her a dish to dry. "No, it's ok. I get that you have your own life and I mine now-"

"I should've just told you I was upset with your questions and shouldn't have just walked away. I'm sorry. I'll come back with you to the apartment. I actually have to do laundry tonight..."

"Can't you do it here?"

"The machines here are a bit finicky. It almost ruined one of my shirts when I tried... Shego's been talking to the superintendent to get it fixed. Also, I had only been dropping off dirty clothes and picking up clean ones when I stopped by the apartment during the week... but I really need some of these clothes washed..."

"Ah, ok. Say, Shego's pretty nice... I kind of just dumped stuff on her and she rationalised things out for me..."

"Yeah, that's what I love about her. She's down-to-earth and level-headed, well... Not when she's mad."

"You guys fought?"

"Oh, no, I heard stories about her from her boss about she scared the crap out of their accountant. I wouldn't ever want to get her that angry."

"Haha, I wouldn't either." Hana handed another dish to Kim. "Where'd Shego go after you insisted on doing the dishes?"

"I don't know. Let me check." Kim put down the dish towel and peered out the kitchen doorway. She saw the older woman passed out on the couch. "She's out like a light. Must've been all that ice cream she ate... That chocolate sauce you made sure was good, I would've had four bowls of ice cream too if I could..."

"She's asleep at eight thirty? Wow, only old people sleep that early."

"Hana, what did I say about making fun of our elders?"

"I'm just kidding! Why is she asleep so early? You're the one who had the long day... She had the afternoon off!"

"Guess she's just tired," commented Kim. "And maybe in a self-induced food coma... How is she able to inhale four bowls of ice cream and still look _that_ good?" mumbled Kim.

Quietly laughing, Hana asked, "Should we wake her?"

"No, let her sleep, I'll leave a note." Kim retrieved a blanket from Shego's bedroom, and, at Hana's behest, left a sticky note on Shego's forehead that the two of them had decided to return to Kim's apartment.

"Shouldn't we lock the door? We don't have a key..." asked Hana as they headed out of the suite and into the hallway.

"Good idea. Hang on a sec, let me get the keys from my purse."

"She gave you keys?"

Kim sheepishly smiled. "Yeah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papa Sheegz and Momma Kim = purely random, on my part... In a way, Hana's young and brash, so Kim and Shego do act like parents... but then, there are moments where Hana's more mature than the both of them...
> 
> I'd like to be able to eat four bowls of ice cream and look just as good as Shego... alas, that'll never happen...
> 
> Chapter title is from "Get It Daddy" by Sleeper Agent.


	43. Look Up to the Magic Stars

_Three Days Ago_

"Hey Kim, can I ask you something?"

The redhead looked over from the television to her girlfriend. "Sure."

"I don't want this to sound rude... I do like the constant company - it's a nice change, but how come you've been coming over here since you had that dinner at your parents'?"

Kim thought for a moment before answering. "I guess saying that I'm a bit annoyed at a particular teenager would probably be the best answer, but it's more the fact that every time I go home, she's there to ask me a bunch of questions."

"...about...?"

"Work, us, you, and _you_."

" _Me_?"

"In a way, I understand why she wants to ask all the questions, but it just seems like she's investigating you. Through me."

Shego chuckled, but stopped when Kim made a face. "Making sure I'm not a egoistic jerk who'll treat you badly?"

"Something like that." Kim continued to frown.

"Maybe I should just talk to her in person to clear up whatever concerns she has."

Kim shook her head. "No, it's fine."

"So you're just going to walk away and camp out here?"

"When you put it like that, you do make it sound like you don't want me around."

"It's not like that, Kim. I just think you're taking the easy way out."

Kim bristled at Shego's remark, and then relaxed when Shego put a comforting arm around her.

"It's just... She's my sister. Imagine how upset she'd get if I told her to stop and mind her own business? I mean, in the past with all the other stuff I had to do deal with, I wouldn't mind if she intervened. But this time, it's different with you. I mean, you're just so kind to me and I really don't think Hana would do anything detrimental to the relationship, but I really can't handle going home and having questions thrown in my face about things like what colour you like, why aren't you over at my place, stuff like that..."

"I see, but she'll eventually figure out you're just avoiding her by camping out here... And that would make things even more awkward," reasoned Shego.

Kim sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She really didn't want to deal with this after a busy day at work. All she wanted to do was to curl up on the couch with Shego and forget about Bonnie bitching about the Christmas specials for the paper, looming deadlines, and Hana. "Shego, can we just not talk about it? I just want to be with you right now."

"Ok." Shego remained silent for a few minutes before getting up and rummaging through a cabinet drawer in the living room. She softly called out, "Kim, heads up and catch."

Kim looked up to see something sail at her head. With her quick reflexes, she caught the object: a pair of keys.

"Lobby door is the bigger one and the smaller is for the suite," murmured Shego.

Kim stared at Shego.

"It makes things easier for you if you want to come over, and if I'm not around to open the door. I don't want you to stand around and wait if I'm still in the office or busy in the kitchen... I swear, the security guard probably knows who you are by now too... I mean, he totally winked at me the last time I had to come down to the lobby to take you up..."

Kim remained silent for another minute before Shego continued rambling.

"And, I guess... I've been meaning to give you them for a while..." The older woman stared at an interesting piece of carpet as she continued. "I mean, I know we shouldn't really rush things but I do enjoy your company too... So you're free to drop by when you want." She looked up at Kim and smiled. "Even when you do want to escape from a nosy teen."

"Shego... I don't know what to say... 'Thanks' doesn't seem like enough."

"It's like... How you say, 'no big'..." replied Shego with a wave of her hand.

Kim murmured, "It means a lot to me." She got up and walked over to Shego. Hesitating for just a second, since she noticed the older woman was nervous about how giving Kim keys might change the pace of their relationship, she hugged her girlfriend.

Shego kissed the top of Kim's head in response, and felt Kim smile on her chest. "C'mon, Princess, let's go to bed."

* * *

_Present Day_

Hana was silent for the entire ride back to Kim's apartment. She had decided that it would be best not to pry any further about how Kim had keys to Shego's apartment.

It was only until they were inside the suite that Kim mumbled, "She gave them to me a few days ago." Hana had nodded her head in understanding and headed to the guest room to retire for the night.

Kim's cell phone started ringing shortly after and Kim quickly turned off the ringer. Without looking at the caller display, she answered with, "Hey, you woke up?"

"Very funny with the sticky note," Shego responded dryly.

"That was Hana's doing."

"I know." Kim heard Shego chuckle. "Sorry for passing out like that... Ice cream usually makes me drowsy after a really heavy dinner."

"I should feed you more ice cream if that's the case."

"Oh?" Shego responded amusedly. "Why's that?"

"You're one big teddy bear when you're asleep... that I like clutching onto." Even though Kim couldn't see Shego, she knew that her girlfriend just grinned.

"One big cuddly teddy bear, eh?"

"Yup, and you're cute when you sleep."

"No, _you_ 're the one who's cute when fast asleep."

Kim blushed at Shego's comment and mumbled, "To be honest, I didn't want to go but I have to do laundry."

Shego blew a raspberry and scoffed. "Laundry can be done later!"

"Is that your way of saying you miss me right now?"

Shego immediately answered with a "yes" that it caught Kim off-guard. Normally, Shego would never really admit she missed the redhead or be completely direct with her feelings - the older woman was subtle with her touches and looks of affection, but she had surprised Kim earlier this evening by being, well, flirty with a hint of seductiveness.

"I miss you too, Shego..."

"It's ok, I understand that it made more sense to go back home today because of Hana."

Kim whispered, "Thing is, she just went to bed when we got back, so... I don't know whether I should talk to her about it so more or just leave it alone..."

"She went to bed probably because she doesn't want to annoy you any further than she did before. Just leave it as it is... Talking about it might make it worse."

"Ok," replied Kim. "You know, for an old lady, you sure are wise."

"Hey! I'm only five years older than you. That doesn't make me an old lady."

"It does, because you're _older_ than me."

"Don't be a smartass," laughed Shego. "A cute smartass..."

"Shego, behave. Gosh, why are you so feisty tonight?"

"We're on the phone, Kim. How is saying you're cute and awesome being feisty? I'm just stating the truth."

"Charming."

"That's me! Your Prince Charming... uh, Princess Charming...? You get my point."

Kim smiled. Even in her drowsy state, Shego still managed to put a smile on her face, and made her feel warm and fuzzy. The redhead whispered, "I kind of wish..." and then mumbled something that Shego couldn't hear.

"What was that? I didn't catch the end."

"It's nothing, it's fine."

"Ok, whatever you say, Princess," replied Shego. "I'm going to turn in for the night then... Still sort of drowsy, not to mention you guys did the dishes for me, so I have nothing to do to keep me awake. Now, if you were here on the other hand..."

"Shego, behave! No more tickle battles and pillow fights! At least, not for tonight... Besides, you always win since you know how ticklish I am!" chuckled Kim as Shego roared with laughter over the phone.

"You're just cute when you make that face after I tickle you... it's like a look of disgust and amusement..." Shego yawned loudly. "Ah, looks like it's time to hit the sack."

"Sweet dreams," murmured Kim.

"Good night, Pumpkin."

"Good night, Shego."

When the line went dead, Kim sighed. To her, Shego was the perfect girlfriend; the older woman always knew how to put a smile on her face. Yet, a part of her was afraid of things that might disrupt this balance of contentment and happiness. She muttered to herself as she went to grab her dirty clothes, "I kind of wish I wasn't like this... So terrified of the future and what it might bring if I make the next move... Shego's made hers with giving me the keys to her suite, but what comes next? Will everything change, or will it just be the same?"

Kim pondered about this for the remainder of the evening as she did her laundry, unaware that the growing feelings she had for her girlfriend might have evolved into something deeper than just 'like'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been getting some comments that Kim and Shego are hella awkward with each other: it's intentional. Realistic? It's possible (believe me, I'm probably much worse :P).
> 
> And no, they won't be moving in together any time soon... But, what will Kim do? Does Shego expect Kim to also give her a pair of keys? (Cue suspenseful music here...)
> 
> Chapter title is from "Is This Feeling Love?" by Tommy Heavenly6, the J-pop/rock artist. Engrish lyrics! Context of the lyrics for this song is irrelevant to the story - it was the first song that came to mind when I wrote the last sentence.


	44. Break Through My Sulk

"Shego, office. Now."

"All right, all right," muttered the graphic designer. She made her way to Betty's office and plopped down on a chair. "What's up?"

"I understand there was a day that you had to help typeset for the Middleton Daily?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Shego looked at her nails as her boss rolled her eyes. Huh, I need to file these, she thought.

"That was outside the contract, Shego." Betty motioned at a stack of paper. "You just gave me more paperwork to do."

Shego shrugged. "They were short-staffed and Bonnie wanted me to help out. I don't exactly see a problem."

"It becomes a problem for me if you want to be paid for those hours. You're not exactly a freelancer anymore, Shego."

"Whether I get paid or not, I still helped them out. Besides, I doubt they'd be willing to pay at me freelance rate."

"That's exactly the problem. Kim just called and told me that they want to pay you. Apparently Bonnie insisted."

Shego raised a brow. "You're kidding? _Bonnie_?"

Betty nodded. "In fact, I think they might want you to be on call for any emergency typesetting tasks, something that I told Kim that I'd have to talk to you about. You do have other client projects to work on. The contract with Middleton Daily expires by the end of the year, but they are willing to extend it to cover this new position if you want."

"Well, I know for sure that I don't have a full plate right now, but didn't you say we might have another client early next year?"

"Yes, we'll have another client early next year. This offer that Kim and Bonnie are proposing is open until the winter holiday season begins, so you have until then to give me an answer. Talk to Kim and Bonnie about it and hash out what they want you to do. This is sort of beyond my jurisdiction since they are looking for _your_ freelancing services, not GJ Design's. As far as I know, they've been happy with the work you've done so far with the logo redesign, along with all merchandise redesigns... It's all fair game now, depending on your schedule." Betty kept a level eye on Shego. "Keep in mind I still expect you to pull in your regular hours."

"Gotcha," replied Shego. "I'll talk to them about it."

Betty leaned back in her chair. "So everything's going well with you and Kim?"

Shego gave a curt nod. "Yeah, her sister Hana's been back, so we've just been hanging."

"I see. The Stoppable girl is quite a character."

"Yeah, she is..." Shego stopped looking at her nails and looked at Betty. "A random question... I didn't think it would have been appropriate to ask Kim this, but how come she was adopted by the Stoppables?"

"They wanted a daughter... I think that's the simplest answer I can give you," Betty stated matter-of-factly. "I've heard that she comes from a unique lineage that included some renowned martial artists, but that's the extent of my knowledge of Hana Stoppable."

"Ah, I see..." Shego shrugged. "I know I shouldn't feel sorry for her, but she's gone through a bit too much grief at such a young age. I don't know how I would've handled it if I were her."

"She started off rather delinquent at a young age, it did get worse after her brother died, from what I've heard. She did have some run-ins with the police with vandalism and painting graffiti on some buildings in the west end of the city. Probably just the way teenagers vent out their anger at how unjust the world can be, it sort of reminds me of my time at college..." A ghost of a smile slowly appeared on Betty's face. "Anyway, the Possibles managed to help her out by becoming her guardians, and I know Kim made quite an effort to talk some sense into Hana before she did things she would regret... In the end, I guess she turned out ok."

"She calls me 'Sheegz', Betty... I don't think that's 'ok'... What kind of nickname is that?"

Betty chuckled. "Teens like to shorten everything these days with their L-O-L's and B-R-B's..."

Shego shook her head in amusement. "Like you said, she's quite a character. Hell, all teens are batshit crazy."

Betty laughed. "I guess so, but I've never met the kid."

"What about Ron?"

"In passing once. A bit of a character himself with his naked mole rat. Such a shame the family passed off so early."

Shego nodded. She didn't like to pry, but there were some questions she wanted to ask - asking Kim just didn't seem right. "Anyway, how are you, old bird?"

Betty cocked her head.

"Seeing anyone, or have you scared off all your suitors again?"

Betty shook her head. "Mother keeps setting me up with the most ridiculous of people... Dog breeder, manicurist, and some boring real estate agent who gets excited over numbers."

"I'm sure they all have their merits," commented Shego smugly. "You should've given them a chance."

Betty laughed and tapped her eye patch. "I think the single eye gave them the heebie-jeebies."

Shego scoffed. "While I think it's funny your mom is still setting you up, you should take a night out on the town."

"Normally, I'd agree with you, but no... I've got other things to do." Betty frowned as she looked up at her closed office door. She raised her voice, "Like... Telling _Will_ , who is standing behind my office door and eavesdropping, to mind his own business, and to get _you,_ " she shot Shego a look, "to go back to your desk and work!"

Amused, Shego got up and swung open the door to find a red-faced Will blinking at both women.

"Uh, I was about to knock-"

"William, sit. Shego, go," commanded Betty.

"Yes, ma'am!" saluted Shego as her boss rolled her eye in annoyance.

"Will-"

"I had no intention of-"

"It's fine, but I find it odd how you claim to have no interest in your colleagues' personal lives, but you just took the time to listen in on my conversation with Shego."

Will's face remained red as Shego's snickers could be heard several feet away.

"Shego!" barked Betty. "Get out of here and head over to the paper to talk to Kim and Bonnie!"

"Aye, aye, captain!" was the response before Betty and Will heard the front door slam.

"Now, Will, let's discuss your performance review, ignoring what happened a few minutes ago."

Will silently nodded, as colour drained from his cheeks, and resumed to his normal stoic self.

* * *

Hana had walked by the unit a few times, peering through the glass to see if Shego was in, but she wasn't sure. She hovered at the door for about half an hour until a prim and proper looking guy came out.

"What do you want?" he asked. "You shouldn't be loitering here."

"Is Shego in?"

"Who are you and what business do you have with her?" asked the young man. He had an extremely annoyed look on his face and narrowed his eyes at Hana.

What a twit, Hana thought. "Just a friend who wanted to drop by and say hi."

The young man rolled his eyes and responded irritatedly, "She stepped out for other business. You can just call her up and ask where she is, instead of wasting my time with your drivel."

"One, I don't have her cell number. Two, don't be such a dickwad."

Will bristled at Hana's abrasiveness. "I am not a dickwad and you really should treat your fellow peers with respect."

"Ah, but you are not a peer, just someone else who knows Shego that I don't care about."

Will glared at her. "If you're friends with Shego, you'd have her number."

Hana frowned. She considered, for a moment, punching the guy in the face, but muttered, "Thanks for nothing." For added measure, Hana added, "Jerk!" before walking into the direction of The Middleton Daily.

"How dare you call me a jerk! I have a name and it is Will!" screeched the young man as he slammed the door and went back into the office.

Today was clearly not his day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to humour, somewhat filler, I don't know? *shrug*
> 
> Chapter title is from "Sulk" by TRUST, a darkwave band from Toronto. Their debut album 'TRST' is highly recommended if you like witch house or dark synths.


	45. Forever With the Memory

Hana walked into the Middleton Daily and looked around. The offices seemed to be in disarray with papers all over the place and reporters running around shouting at each other.

A stern voice stopped Hana's exploration of the office. "Stoppable."

Hana turned to look at the speaker and saw Bonnie Rockwaller beckoning her into her office. The younger girl took a free chair and coolly greeted Middleton Daily's second-in-command. "Hi, Bonnie."

"Visiting?"

"Looking for Shego, actually... I couldn't find her in the graphics design office... Some rude dude started yelling at me."

"That must've been Will. Shego's here, going over something with Kim."

Hana nodded.

"Everything going well?"

The younger woman nodded again.

"Good." Bonnie glanced at the bookshelf behind Hana.

Noticing that Bonnie was staring at something that wasn't her face, Hana followed Bonnie's line of vision and saw that she was looking at a picture of Kim and Ron, with Bonnie fuming at something in the background. It was taken in high school, when Hana was just a small kid.

"Didn't take you for a sentimental type, Bonnie."

Bonnie smiled. "It comes with age. I'll probably be an old sap by the time I hit forty."

Hana chuckled and suddenly spoke in a serious tone. "Thanks for looking after Kim... I couldn't do much with being abroad, so..."

Bonnie blushed. "Well, she's the boss, got to make sure she's fit to run the company," the brunette replied coolly.

Hana smirked. "Don't be embarrassed, nothing wrong with helping friends out."

Bonnie nodded. "So you'll be in town until the New Year?"

"Yeah, I leave at the end of the first week of January, so I still have time to catch up with people and terrorise the city with my charm."

Bonnie smiled. "Don't get yourself into trouble, ok?"

Hana nodded as she got up to leave. "I'll try not to... Really wanted to punch that Will dude earlier though."

"He's like that to everyone, just ignore him."

"All right. Nice catching up with ya, Bonnie." Hana waved at the brunette before disappearing down the hall to Kim's office.

Bonnie got up and walked over to the bookshelf. Taking the photo into her hands, she shook her head and smiled. It was a strange sort of picture; she was only in the background fuming about that bake sale when Kim and Ron had their picture taken. Kim had given her the picture as a memento of their high school days shortly after Ron died. While Bonnie had never got along with them in high school, they did just fine when they all started working at the paper. The angry and bitchy Bonnie was still there, but a bit more tolerable with Ron's goofiness and Kim's heart of gold. Bonnie only really began to soften up when Kim had her 'period of darkness', as the tabloids put it, and shortly after the picture was given to her. It was one of those moments where she wished she got on their good side in the past as it was the only picture they really had together as a group of three.

* * *

Kim's door was ajar and Hana peeked inside. Shego and Kim were talking about something and the two women were using hand gestures of sorts to hash out whatever details they were discussing.

Noticing someone at her door, Kim looked up and smiled. "Hana! What a surprise!" Shego turned around and winked at the young woman.

"I was actually looking for Shego..." She looked from Kim to Shego. "Some guy at your office wouldn't tell me where you were, and I don't have your cell number."

Shego grinned. "Will being an ass? He was pretty flabbergasted when I left since he got caught eavesdropping... Anyway, come over here and I'll enter my number in your phone."

"Ok, cool." Hana handed over her cell phone to Shego and looked up to see Kim watching both of them with an amused expression on her face.

"You know, Hana," said Shego as she punched in her number, "you could've just asked Kim?"

The thought hadn't crossed the young girl's mind and she laughed embarrassedly. "Hadn't thought about that... Besides, Kim's busy with work, from what Bonnie told me."

Kim laughed. "Hana, you can bug me any time, you know that." She ruffled her sister's hair. "Don't worry about it. Family always comes first, then work."

Hana nodded as Shego gave her back her cell phone. "So whatcha guys up to? Bonnie said you were going over stuff with Shego?"

"They want me to freelance for the paper, so we're hashing out the details."

"More of an on-call or emergency thing," Kim added.

"Cool."

"So, what's up? Why were you looking for me?" asked Shego.

Hana's cheeks coloured. "Was wondering if you wanted to get coffee..." She turned to her redheaded sister. "You too, Kim."

Kim smiled. It was nice to see that Hana and Shego were getting along, but she got the feeling that Hana wanted to speak to Shego in private about something. After the evening where she patched things up with Hana, things were a bit back to normal - Hana wasn't as inquisitive, and Kim had not gone over to Shego's much. Instead, the older woman had come over for dinner on random days, and slept over for some. Whether or not this was progress, Kim had a feeling that Hana still felt somewhat awkward about the whole situation. She looked at the clock and shook her head. "It's ok, I have some more paperwork to do, so you and Shego can go for coffee. Is that ok?" She turned to look at Shego for an answer.

"I think we've sorted out what the freelance position requires, so we're good. Does Bonnie need to go over anything with me before I leave?"

Kim shook her head. "We agreed on these conditions before you stopped by and we haven't made any changes to them during my discussion with you, so I think we're ok. I'll let Betty know about what we discussed."

"Ok, great," said Shego as she got up to leave. "C'mon, squirt, let's go get that coffee."

Hana grinned. "Sure thing, Sheegz. I'll see you later, Kim!"

Kim nodded and watched the two leave. Picking up the stack of papers on her desk, she grabbed her coat and headed out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baw, Shego calls Hana 'squirt'...
> 
> Chapter title is from "Memory (feat. DAISHI DANCE)" by Nakashima Mika.


	46. Towards an Unseen Future

Kim walked into the quiet office of GJ Designs. Greeting Will, she silently gestured to ask whether Betty was in. The young man nodded and she proceeded to Betty's office. She knocked once and heard the voice inside asking her to enter.

Kim stepped in as Betty put down a magazine. Unable to hide the surprise in her voice, Betty asked, "Kim! To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Kim sat down and handed Betty the papers. "Agreements were made this afternoon about Shego's freelancing contract."

Betty cocked her head in confusion. "I'm not sure what this has to do with me, since it's solely Shego's responsibility."

"Just figured you wanted a copy. I've asked Shego permission already to give them to you, just in case you might have any disagreements or conflicts of interest with anything she does."

"How considerate, but the legal ramifications of giving me a copy of her contract-"

"-There will be none, as Shego willingly wants you to have a copy."

"I see." Betty took the papers, but did not look through them as she put them into a new folder. "So, how are things?"

Unsure as to what Betty meant by the question, Kim simply answered with, "Things are good, a bit busy with planning Christmas editions of the paper, but it's nothing we can't handle."

Betty nodded. She had deliberately phrased her question to be ambiguous to gauge Kim's reaction. "That's good to hear... From what I've heard, the major holidays are usually the busiest times for the paper... Same as here, actually."

"Is Shego overloaded right now? I can ask to alleviate some of her workload at the paper to give her more time to work on your clients' projects."

Betty shook her head. "Everything's been going well... She's surprisingly been able to manage her time much better since she met you."

A light blush appeared on Kim's cheeks. Bashfully, she said, "I didn't know I had that kind of effect on her."

Betty laughed. "Well, Will's been complaining to me about Shego's tardiness, but she's been getting things done a lot faster than one would think. It's nice to know that our work alliance has helped her productivity."

"She never mentioned that she was late for your meetings..." murmured Kim with concern.

"It's probably because they're early in the morning... And Shego seems to have always been rushing from your end of the city to make it in on time for these meetings."

The blush turned a shade darker. Of course, Kim thought, it was during those days where either one of them would sleep over and Kim would ask Shego to stay for just a few more minutes, causing the older woman to rush to work.

Betty laughed. "Don't worry about it, Kim. I haven't seen Shego this happy in a while, so I haven't asked her to be more punctual in the future."

"You're a pretty nice boss, in that case," commented Kim. It wasn't meant to offend Betty's ability as a supervisor, but to compliment her as a friend.

Betty smiled smugly. "I've known Shego for many years, so I know how to get under her skin without nagging. But, you're right, I don't say anything about it because she'll have a field day with complaints... And that everyone is entitled to their happiness once in a while."

Kim nodded. "You're a good friend... To be honest, I did wonder what would've happened if you spoke out against the relationship since it would've caused a kerfuffle with the contract and projects."

"Quite literally, I turn a blind eye to things that I choose not to see." Betty tapped her eye patch as Kim turned crimson again. "Besides, Kim, I actually think it wouldn't have done anything in terms of Shego's productivity. If anything, you probably motivated her to produce work of utmost quality. However, I am glad you went through the extra effort to remove yourself from your direct involvement in Shego's projects for the paper."

"I felt that was the best thing to do... And Bonnie's a much better coordinator than I am."

Betty smiled. "So I've heard. In any case, I'm glad everything's gone well so far. I don't hear Shego complaining about anything, so she must be doing something right."

Kim laughed. "She's doing more than right, she's just... talented at what she does and I'm really grateful we got GJ Designs involved."

Betty grinned. "Well, you know who to call if you have any other major redesign projects to do."

"Of course." Kim looked at her watch. "I have to get back to the office, but if there's anything you need, just let me know. I'm sure there are some sponsors who might be in need of graphic design rework."

Betty stood and offered her hand. "Sounds great."

Kim firmly shook her hand and nodded. "I guess we'll be in touch again once the contract is over to wrap up finances and such."

"Yes, I'll probably stop by the paper some time before the holiday begins, as I understand you'll be taking vacation this year."

"Yes, although I haven't made any plans, but I aim to wrap up everything by Christmas Eve."

"Ok, sounds good, we'll reconvene before then."

* * *

"Say, Shego, what are you getting Kim for Christmas?"

The two women were at Joe's Cafe again, seated near the barista as the cafe was full this afternoon. The older woman had wondered why Hana asked her out for coffee, but figured it was because Hana felt somewhat awkward asking Kim as they were still in the process of patching things up, and needed someone to talk to - not necessarily about what happened, but just to keep the young woman from asking things she might later regret.

Shego put down her cup and thought for a second before answering. "I've thought about it, but wasn't too sure she'd like it."

"Oh? Maybe I can help you out. What were you planning to get her?"

Shego laughed. "Cooking lessons and a bread maker."

Hana grinned. "You sure about the cooking lessons? She might terrify the instructor... Bread maker's thoughtful since it's just so easy to use."

"And I know for a fact that she loves bread... The lessons aren't just for her though."

"Couples' cooking lessons?"

Shego nodded before taking a sip of her drink - a creme brûlée latte this time.

"I guess that wouldn't be so bad, but Kim can be competitive, even in the kitchen... And why do you need lessons?"

"I only know how to make a handful of things, but none of them are really suited to be eaten every day... Really heavy meals like lasagna, clam chowder... Stuff like that."

"The fact that you can make that is already a good indicator you can cook... I'm not sure how Kim would react if she realises that you can cook..."

"She knows, but I think it's better that I be there with her, so she won't feel as, uh, competitive..."

Hana shrugged. "I guess that wouldn't be too bad then."

"Do you think she'd feel insulted if I got her cooking lessons?"

"Nah, I don't think so." Hana dunked her biscotti into her coffee. "So where are the lessons going to be held? The community centre?"

Shego shook her head. "My mom knows a few people, so she helped me snag tickets for a private cooking lesson with Chef Morimoto."

Hana almost spat out her coffee (and biscotti) at the older woman. She choked on the piece of biscotti while the older woman patted her back to try to help her swallow it down. After a few minutes, Hana stared at Shego. " _The_ Chef Abe Morimoto? The one with acclaimed restaurants in New York, Paris, and London?"

Shego nodded.

Hana opened and closed her mouth several times before taking a deep breath. Shego thought the teen looked like a fish trying to breathe without water. When Hana calmed down, she asked, "How on earth did you manage to get Chef Morimoto? Oh my god..."

"My family knows the mayor of Go City and apparently he's really good friends with Chef Morimoto... So the mayor managed to get tickets to Chef Morimoto's personal cooking lessons. From what I've heard, they're-"

"-hard to get and super expensive. My god, Kim's going to freak."

Shego tilted her head in confusion.

"She watches Battle of the Chefs on occasion and she totally roots for him whenever he's competing. Wow. Wow! Oh my god! Can you get me his autograph?" Hana had stopped hyperventilating, but now her hand was shaking as she brought the coffee cup to her lips.

Laughing, Shego ruffled Hana's hair and nodded. "Sure. I think the private cooking lesson is going to be sometime in March though... Chef Morimoto's on some sort of tour right now... I haven't worked out the details, but I'll keep you posted... So you think it's a good gift?"

Hana nodded enthusiastically. "Hell, it's perfect! Wow, I can't believe this. You're fantastic, Shego. Definitely a keeper."

Shego blushed as she took a biscotti. "I wasn't sure whether it was a good idea, but I did have a back-up plan..."

"Do tell!"

"I haven't really figured out the plans for the break... I think we mutually agreed to spend half the holiday with your family and the other half with mine, but I can book a trip up north to go skiing and snowboarding... Wait, does Kim know how to do either?"

"She's much better at snowboarding than skiing, but she can do both. Damn, Shego, you sure are full of ideas... All of them are so... Extravagant..."

Shego bit the biscotti with a loud crunch. Chewing loudly, she asked, "So you think it's too much?"

Hana shook her head. "Every woman likes to be pampered, but I can see that you just want Kim to have fun and to relax, and not flaunt the expensive gifts... Though, I'm not sure she'd be relaxing with the cooking lesson, but she'll definitely have fun for sure!"

Shego dunked her biscotti into her latté. "I think you're right, they're such expensive gift ideas... Maybe I should do something much more personal and inexpensive..." She smushed her already soft biscotti into her drink and stopped only when Hana pulled her hand to stop.

"Do what you feel is best... I probably don't understand the level of affection you have for Kim and probably vice versa, but if you do what your heart tells you, then it should be the right thing to do."

Shego smiled. The kid sure is wise, she thought. "Thanks, Hana."

Hana blushed. "That sounded really cheesy, didn't it?"

Shego chuckled. "A bit. Say, what do you want for Christmas? I know we haven't known each other for long, so I have no idea about the things you like, so..."

Hana shook her head. "Just knowing you know Chef Morimoto through a degree of separation is a gift in itself. He's probably one of my idols when it comes to cooking."

"I'll make sure you get that autograph then... And maybe something else."

"Nah, it's ok... Say, what do you want?"

"Your best tiramisu," smiled Shego.

"Oh, come on, that's so easy to make!"

"But I've heard such good things about it... And have yet to taste it!"

Hana grinned. "Ok, fine. As long as you let me know on advance which days you'll spend over at the house because I'll have to prep the ingredients."

"Sure thing."

The two women sat in comfortable silence (which was no doubt drowned out by their fellow talkative coffee mates) when Hana startled Shego with a question.

"What's Will like?"

"An ass, most of the time, but a reliable accountant." Shego peered at Hana and noticed the young woman had a determined sort of expression on her face. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious... He did seem like an ass to me when I spoke with him earlier."

"The guy lives in his world of black and white, but he's probably the best accountant around." The older woman nudged Hana with her elbow. "What's up? You interested in Will?"

Hana remained impassive as she shook her head. "Nah, not my type. I go for the bad boys." She winked. "Besides, he just looks really familiar to me, that's all."

Shego shrugged. "Don't know whether you've seen him around before... He's probably been in Middleton for a while... I actually don't know much about him since the guy always keeps to himself and is all business."

"Maybe I'm mistaking him for someone else. Oh well." Hana drained her coffee cup and motioned for Shego to eat the last biscotti.

"Thanks," said Shego as she took the cookie. "So, what are your plans for the holiday?"

"Usually I just hang with the family and call up some friends here. I think Jim and Tim are flying in a week before Christmas, so maybe we can go skiing or snowboarding then... You should come with us!"

Shego shook her head. "I have some deadlines to meet right before Christmas Eve, and I'm certain Kim does too... So I guess we could go later in the holiday."

"Ok, cool. I won't be leaving until after the New Year, so we should be fine."

"Cool."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kim and Betty, and Shego and Hana bonding time... Fun stuff.
> 
> Of course, I'm making a reference to Iron Chef. :P
> 
> Chapter title is from "Dear My Friend －まだ見ぬ未来へ－" [Dear My Friend -Mada Minu Mirai he-] by ELISA. Song is from the To Aru Kagaku no Railgun anime ("Dear My Friend - Towards an Unseen Future").


	47. Silver Moon's Sparkling

"Kim, have you decided on whose place to go over first for the holiday?"

The redhead had made an impromptu visit to her girlfriend's apartment and was currently attempting to cook in the kitchen. Shego was leaning on the doorway and grinning to herself as Kim hustled about the kitchen.

"Um, not really, I was going to talk to you about that today, actually... I was thinking we head over to my parents' first and then make the trip to Go City. We can probably stay at my parents' the week until Christmas Eve and make the drive over on Christmas Day? Would that be ok?"

"Sure, sounds good. My family doesn't really do much on Christmas morning, usually we have a big dinner on the Eve and the night of Christmas. Shouldn't be a problem if we skipped the Eve dinner."

"Ok, that sounds good."

"I'll give my mom a call then to let her know. The Wegos are probably going to head over to Go City a week earlier, so we don't have to worry about ferrying them too in the car."

Kim nodded as she wiped her brow on her sleeve. Clearly making chicken pot pie looked harder than it did in the recipe book. She was glad Shego didn't ask, or tease, her about what she was making. She turned to look at the doorway and Shego had already disappeared to the living room to make the phone call.

* * *

"Hello, Godeaux residence."

"Hi, mom."

"Sheridan! What a nice surprise to hear from you! I trust you're calling about Christmas?"

"Yep, I'll be heading over on Christmas Day."

"With your girlfriend, I presume?"

"Yes..." Shego shook her head. News travels fast in her family, she thought.

"Oh, come now, I know you must think I pry into your life, but your brothers sure like to talk."

"I know, Mom. The twins really can't keep their mouths shut."

Her mother laughed on the other end. "They take after your father, you know that. Anyway, so Kim will be coming with you?"

"Yes, if it's ok with you and Dad. We're still figuring out whether we can go over to Kim's parents' place the week before, but our work schedules are busy up until Christmas Eve..."

"It'll be no problem if you come by on Christmas Day. Should I set up the guest room or will she be sharing with you?"

Even though her mom was on the other end of the line, Shego still blushed. "We can just share my room."

"Ok, dear. Also, Horace wants to pass you a message." Her mother sounded like she was going to laugh, but then cleared her throat. "'Tell Shego that I need to speak with her in private once she comes home,' he says. That boy sure knows when to push your buttons."

Shego groaned. "Mom, on second thought, how about I don't-"

"Don't you walk away from him, Sheridan. Your brother may be an uptight wad, but he's still family. I think it would make for great entertainment if you and Horace have another argument over dinner."

"It's fun for you to watch, of course, but he'd just hurt not only my, but Kim's feelings too."

Shego could hear her mother shush her brother over the phone. After a minute of silence, her mother finally spoke, "Sorry, dear, I had to shoo away your brother because he seemed like he really wanted to wrestle the phone out of my hands to talk to you. I know how you feel about his meddling, but as much as you don't want him there, he will still be at the dinner on Christmas Day. He is family, after all."

"Mom, you sure Horace wasn't adopted?"

Her mother laughed. "I endured twenty hours of labour just to push him out of my womb. I'm dead certain he's not adopted."

Shego smiled. "All right. Just keep him on his leash or something. I really don't want him offending Kim."

"Who's going to offend me?" asked Kim as she sat down on the couch. She looked a bit dishevelled and still had her apron on.

Shego put a hand over the receiver and said, "My brother Horace." Putting the phone back to her ear, she heard her mom laugh.

"I see you've got company right now. I'll leave you to it, but thank you for calling. You should do it more often... It's not very satisfying to hear how you're doing from your brothers... You know how the twins exaggerate everything."

"I know, Mom, I'll call more in the future."

"Good girl. See you soon! Love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

As Shego hung up, Kim had gone back into the kitchen to check up on dinner. The older woman resumed her original position of leaning on the kitchen doorway. "So, Chef Possible, what's cooking?"

The redhead took off her oven mitts and shut the oven door closed. "It's a secret!"

"Oh? A secret, you say?" Shego waltzed into the kitchen with a predatory glint in her eye.

Honestly, she thought, Kim looks fantastic wearing that apron... Would be better if she wore nothing underneath, but... I can see how she totally checked me out that day... In front of Hana too.

Kim backed up slowly and before she knew it, she found herself caught between her girlfriend and the kitchen counter. She grinned nervously, "Yep, a secret. You'll know when we eat."

Shego grinned. "Sure, but in the meanwhile, let's have-" She leaned closer and whispered breathily into Kim's ear. "-some fun." She kissed Kim's neck as her hand found itself resting on Kim's hip.

"Shego, we're in the kitchen-" Kim was silenced with a rather aggressive kiss that softened immediately after Kim tightened her hold onto the older woman.

It probably wasn't the first time Kim had felt a twinge of lust for her girlfriend. She had noticed that their make-out "sessions" had become more and more passionate as the weeks gone by, but had chalked it up to dealing with the fact that she was working nights to meet deadlines and that Shego had her own projects to complete. Both would come home from work exhausted, but still have enough energy to have an impromptu make-out session before collapsing in bed. Shego was a bit surprised they hadn't taken the sessions any further, but she understood that work was top priority for both of them.

Tonight, on the other hand, was one of those rare days that Kim could get off work early and surprise Shego with a visit. Shego had completed a project the night before and Betty had told her to take a day off before tackling the next deadline. The older woman had spent most of the day sleeping when she was awakened by Kim's noisy entrance into her apartment. So much for surprise, Shego mused as she unconsciously fumbled with the apron. Maybe tonight was just the night where everything might change, she thought. Kim wasn't resisting Shego's advances and seemed to be enjoying the attention.

Lost in her thoughts (and evidently her desires as she suppressed a gasp when Shego's hands travelled upward under her shirt - how did the apron come loose? Shego must've untied it, Kim thought), the redhead suddenly realised that she smelled something burning.

She gasped, "Shego, Shego, the oven."

"Hmm?" Clearly the woman was lost in her own world because her hands were still travelling under her girlfiend's shirt and her lips nibbling on a rather pink spot on Kim's neck.

"The... Chicken pot pies..." The redhead sucked in a deep breath once Shego's hands made their way to her breasts. Not wanting to completely ruin dinner, Kim forcefully extracted herself from Shego and put on the oven mitts again. "They're burning..."

Shego blinked as Kim pushed her away. Recovering from the initial shock that Kim had indeed shied away from her, the first thought that came to mind was: what had possessed her to make a move on Kim like that? Realising that standing around and agonising about it wouldn't help her, she quickly moved to her girlfriend's aid and shut off the oven as Kim took out their dinner.

It wasn't completely burnt, but they'd have to make do without the crust since it was partially charred black. Scratching the back of her neck, Shego made a face. She was upset that she had somehow lost control and ruined their dinner. "Sorry, Kim... I know you worked hard on the pies..."

"It's ok..." Kim shrugged and laughed. "I guess we were having too good a time to have noticed it started to burn."

Shego blushed. "Yeah, sorry..."

Kim took her girlfriend's hands into her own. "Don't be... But, look what you've done!" She pointed to the spot where Shego's mouth had been interested in and laughed. "I'll probably have this hickey for the rest of the week! It's a good thing it's scarf season!"

Shego chuckled weakly and mumbled her apologies as Kim kissed her and led her out the kitchen with dinner in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHA, saved by the pies! Such a tease. I'm sorry. I still can't decide whether I should up the rating for the story... I can't write this sort of stuff at all, so... Yeah.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer.


	48. Chapter 48

A week or so later, something similar happened when Kim was showering and the power had abruptly gone out. Hana was out with friends for the evening, so Shego and Kim had planned to just stay in for the evening.

Shego was lounging in Kim's living room after dinner when suddenly everything went black and she heard a loud thud from the bathroom. She walked over and knocked on the door. "Princess, you ok?"

She heard Kim grumble and mutter something that sounded like "fell on my ass," so she opened the bathroom door and told her girlfriend she was coming in. She found her way to the faucet and turned off the water. The tricky business was to help Kim up in the dark.

Feeling around for someone in the dark isn't always the best idea, Shego had concluded afterward.

Much to Kim's surprise and amusement, Shego had quite thoroughly groped her girlfriend as she looked for Kim's arm.

"Shego!" laughed Kim, for the redhead was quite ticklish, "It's ok! I can stand, but you know you totally just grazed my breast!"

And that's when the lights flickered back on to reveal one very naked and wet Kim Possible and Shego's hand on her breast.

Colouring immediately, the older woman let go, turned around, and asked if her girlfriend was all right.

Kim didn't know whether to laugh at Shego's embarrassment or be angry about the harassment, but how could she stay angry when her girlfriend was so adorable? Besides, she thought, I didn't mind being felt up...

When Kim told Shego that she was all right, the older woman fled the bathroom. After drying off, the redhead had found her lying on the couch, still red from embarrassment.

"Shego, it's all right," said Kim as she sat down on the floor and patted her girlfriend's arm.

The older woman rolled on her side to look at Kim. "Sorry."

Kim shrugged. "Don't worry about it." She was a bit surprised with Shego's behaviour - one minute, she was flirty, and the next, she was embarrassed.

Maybe it had to do with her last relationship or seeing me naked made her uncomfortable, Kim thought. She wouldn't pry, so she startled her girlfriend by pulling the woman up, turning on the stereo, and dancing.

"Kim, what are you doing?" exclaimed Shego as her girlfriend twirled her around in the living room.

"Loosen up, will ya?" chuckled the redhead. "You know, if I were in your shoes, I'd be happy that I got to grope my girlfriend... Don't make that face."

Shego was frowning and mumbled something along the lines of, "It was an accident, can we not talk about it?"

Kim grinned. Shego was just embarrassed about the whole thing.

Perhaps it was a good thing I didn't tell her there's a flashlight in the cupboard under the bathroom sink, Kim thought. She shook Shego's arm. "Come on! Dance!"

Shego the grouch shook her head, but then started laughing when Kim started tickling her.

"You know what I realised?" asked the redhead as she pressed herself against Shego.

"Hmm?" The older woman was trying to not do anything inappropriate with her girlfriend so close. Kim's breasts were practically pushed against her.

Stare at the wall, the older woman thought. Keep staring.

"We've never danced together."

Shego blinked. "Huh, you're right. Well, we should correct that." She took Kim's hand in hers and placed her other on Kim's back.

Kim giggled. "I don't think we can slow dance to this song, it's too upbeat." She let go of Shego's hand and put in a CD from her shelf.

When the song started playing, Shego smiled. She had heard this song on the radio before but hadn't paid any attention to the lyrics.

_We were strangers starting out on our journey_

_Never dreaming what we'd have to go through_

_Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing_

_At the beginning with you_

Kim took Shego's hand in hers and they resumed swaying. Uncomfortable in such a stiff and formal dancing position, Shego repositioned her hands onto Kim's shoulders to let the redhead hold onto her waist.

_No one told me I was going to find you_

_Unexpected, what you did to my heart_

_When I lost hope, you were there to remind me_

_This is the start_

Kim whispered into Shego's ear, "This song gives me so many feelings that I can't express in words. I'm really glad that I didn't just walk away that day... I couldn't go on without knowing who you were. I got more than I expected... So, thank you for everything."

Shego nodded. She couldn't really speak because she had felt like crying. The lyrics had hit a nerve in the older woman. She had finally learned to let go of the past and the fears of trying to love again. Oh, yes, she was fully aware that she loved Kim on an emotional and spiritual level. She was just afraid to say anything about it because she knew the 'L word' would bring her trouble if Kim didn't feel the same way. She intended to remain quiet about her true feelings until she felt it was the right moment to do something about it.

What did I do to deserve someone as special as Kim, she thought. I never felt this way with Morgan and we dated for six years... I've only known Kim for several months now, why is she so much different? Shego closed her eyes and cleared her mind of any thoughts as she held onto Kim tightly.

She was surprised when she heard Kim singing along to the chorus.

_And life is a road and I want to keep going_

_Love is a river I want to keep flowing_

_Life is a road, now and forever,_

_A wonderful journey  
_

_I'll be there when the world stops turning_

_I'll be there when the storm is through_

_In the end I wanna be standing_

_At the beginning with you_

Kim tightened her hold on Shego as they remained "dancing" in the living room. When the song was over, they still remained swaying until Kim buried her face into Shego's chest as she was utterly embarrassed that she was crying - not out of fear, not sadness, but happiness.

The song had made it very clear that the feelings Kim had were transforming into love. Was she scared about what 'love' entailed? Hell yes. But she quashed those fears when Shego wiped away her tears and gently kissed her.

Sadly, the moment was ruined when an evidently drunk Hana opened the front door and exclaimed, "I'm sexy and I know it!" and then passed out in the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In actuality, I'm not even sure whether the song is slow enough for slow dancing. :D
> 
> I'm a sap, I let them have their romantic moment... But oh no! Hana goes and ruins it by drunkenly singing along to LMFAO's Sexy and I Know It. (I dislike the song... a lot.)
> 
> Chapter title and song lyrics are from "At the Beginning" by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis, found in Fox Animation Studios' Anastasia movie. As much as I dislike how the movie sugar-coated history, this song is one of my top favourite songs in a musical feature film.
> 
> ETA (2012.06.04 18:02 EST): I am going to be busy for the next little while, so there won't be any new chapters until the hiatus is over.


	49. What A Feeling

"Hana!" Kim lunged at the younger woman just in time to catch her before she fell face-first onto the tiled floor.

"Let's move her to the couch," Shego said as she carefully lifted Hana from the floor. The keys were still dangling in Hana's hand as they moved the younger woman to a more comfortable setting. Kim took the keys and pocketed them for safe-keeping.

"The kid is way too drunk right now," Shego commented as she placed a hand on Hana's wrist to check her vitals. "Let's roll her on the side in case she vomits in her sleep."

Kim nodded and helped Shego slowly roll Hana on the couch. She went into the kitchen to grab a small pail and placed it at the foot of the couch.

"Kim, is she even legally allowed to drink?"

Kim shook her head. "She's only eighteen."

Shego raised an eyebrow. "Does she normally party like this?"

"I don't know... I know she's been drinking and whatnot in Paris since she's of age there... But to the extent of the partying, I haven't a clue. I don't keep tabs on her because, well, she wouldn't like it."

"Ok.. She should be ok, but I think we should stay up and check up on her. I don't want her to have alcohol poisoning..."

"I'll talk to her when she wakes up," Kim commented. She frowned. Hana really ruined the evening for her.

"Don't frown, Pumpkin, teens are reckless. You and I both know that from experience."

Kim shook her head. "I'm not frowning because of that."

"Ah, you're frowning because Hana ruined such a good moment."

Kim nodded as she blushed. "It was a nice moment."

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, so we'll have lots of those in the future," winked Shego. "In the meanwhile, we should be glad she made it back to your apartment."

"Yeah... I can't imagine how my parents would react if she didn't."

"Are you going to tell them? They are her legal guardians..."

"Hana will have to deal with me before I tell them. She obviously wouldn't want me to tell them... They'd freak out. My dad more than my mom."

"Covering it up won't do any good."

"I just want to give Hana a chance to explain herself. I can't always be there for her, I know, and I'm not her mom... She can do whatever she wants as long as she understands the consequences."

"Sounds like you've dealt with this sort of recklessness before," said Shego before she got up and turned off the stereo.

"Hana's caused us headaches before, that's all, but I'm glad she found her passion in cooking. It's such a great creative outlet for her... Compared to what some would call vandalising, but we both call it decorating, alleyways in the downtown area."

"Graffiti?" So Betty was right, Shego thought.

Kim nodded. "When Ron left us, she was a mess... And so was I. She ended up decorating some alleyways before the police caught her. I had to convince them to let her do a mural just to her to let out all the negativity she kept bottled up inside. It helped her a lot and, if we get the chance, I'll point it out to you the next time we pass by it. So then she decided to apply for cooking school since she did enjoy baking snacks - she worked long and hard, and got in. I guess you can say it's a classic case of turning one's life around, but Hana's life is anything but normal. I'm glad she's doing better, to be honest, which is why I don't harp on her about the drinking... But after tonight, I'm not sure. I don't want anything to happen to her."

"Well, think of it this way, she was sensible enough to come back here... Instead of staying wherever she was with whomever she hung out. I think she shows enough responsibility already, but the problem is she shouldn't be partying here while still a minor. It could've been much worse, Kim, and I'm thankful it's not. If anything, she'll just wake up in the morning with a massive hangover - that'll teach her not to consume too much in such little time." She put an arm around Kim. "Don't worry, she'll be fine and we'll talk to her when she wakes up."

"We?" Kim was surprised at how calm and collected Shego was with the whole thing. Did she not have these same worries when Wallace and Walter were younger? Is that why she looked like she had seen things like this before? When Kim was Hana's age, her parents had sheltered her from everything, so it wasn't until college that Kim learned the harsh lessons of drinking beyond her limits.

"Of course, _we_ 'll talk to her. I told Hana that if she ever needs support or an extra ear to listen to her problems, I'm always a call away. She's your sister, Kim, so by association, I should also be concerned about her well-being."

Kim smiled. Shego was pretty selfless and so kind. "Did I ever tell you that you're just perfect?"

Shego's cheeks coloured. "I just do what I think is best in a situation like this."

"And that's why you're perfect. You rationalise everything out and see both sides of the argument. I love that about you."

Shego remained blushing as Kim gave her a hug. "Get some sleep, Princess. I'll camp out here and check up on Hana."

"Ok." Kim stole a quick kiss from Shego as she shuffled her way to the bedroom.

* * *

"Ughhhh, my head."

Shego cracked open an eye to see Hana clutch her head. She glanced at the clock. 4 AM. She had been dozing off for a few hours, but still awake to know her bearings: she sitting on the loveseat across from the couch. Placing a cup of water and an aspirin on the coffee table, Shego said, "Take this, it'll help with the hangover."

"Shego?" mumbled the younger girl.

"You're in Kim's apartment right now," replied the older woman.

"What happened?" asked Hana after she swallowed the aspirin.

"Well, Kim and I were having one heck of a romantic evening when you came home and shouted that you were sexy and knew it."

Hana slowly sat up. "Song lyrics... Ughhh, my head really, really hurts."

"Where were you last night? You gave Kim quite a scare when you came home and passed out."

"Party with friends... Took too many shots..." Hana groaned and curled back up on the couch.

"Kim's going to want to talk to you, you know..."

"I know, I'm in deep shit," mumbled Hana. "Always in deep shit..."

Shego was going to comment that Hana wasn't in _that_ much trouble but the teen had already fallen back to sleep. Making sure Hana was lying on her side again, she placed a blanket on the teen and found her way to Kim's bedroom.

As she crawled into bed, Kim shifted and asked groggily, "How is she?"

"Really hungover," replied Shego.

"Mmkay," muttered Kim as she edged closer to Shego, who put an arm around her waist.

* * *

When Kim awoke, she heard someone retching in the bathroom. That must be Hana, she thought. She was about to roll on the bed when she realised her hand was practically groping Shego's breast. Karma, she thought as she smiled.

She slowly removed her hand, but then Shego rolled in her direction and practically pinned the redhead on the bed.

"Don't go," mumbled Shego. "Stay."

Kim lay still, unsure whether Shego was actually awake or mumbling in her sleep. In either case, the redhead found the situation amusing.

She whispered, "I should check up on Hana."

"Later," muttered Shego as she held onto Kim. The two women were practically breast-to-breast, with Shego's face nuzzling Kim's neck.

Kim heard the retching stop and the sound of the toilet flushing.

"See? She's ok. Stay."

Kim obliged and watched Shego sleep. The older woman's hair was in disarray and Kim revelled in the sight. Whether she knew it or not, Shego was most certainly beautiful and Kim felt that she lucked out with someone so understanding and caring.

They stayed like this for another hour or so when Shego was fully awake. Embarrassed that she had latched herself onto Kim, she tried to get up when Kim pulled her in for a kiss.

The kiss was soft at first, but then became more passionate. Kim had slipped her hands under Shego's shirt and was running them up and down the older woman's sides. Shego had repositioned herself on top of Kim and had one leg in-between the redhead's.

"Shego," gasped Kim as the older woman started kissing her exposed collarbone. It was taking Kim a lot of self control to not give into her desires... in broad daylight... and with Hana around. The older woman paid no attention to Kim and carried on with her task of ravishing the exposed skin. "Shego," Kim repeated forcefully.

The older woman stopped and peered into Kim's eyes. The redhead was taken aback by the intensity of the gaze and felt her face flush. Shego grinned and kissed her on the nose.

That was when they both heard Hana knocking on the door.

Shego scrambled off of Kim and sat on the edge of the bed when Kim asked Hana to come in.

"Whoa, you guys look just as bad as me," commented the younger woman as she entered the bedroom.

Shego and Kim looked at each other and laughed. Both looked dishevelled and a pink mark was starting to appear on Kim's clavicle.

"What's up, Hana?" Kim patted to a spot next to her for Hana to sit down. Taking it as her cue to leave and prep breakfast, Shego tied up her hair and stepped out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Birthday update.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Number 1" by BIG BANG.


	50. Consumed by Those Three Words

Hana couldn't believe it. Not only did Kim not freak out at her about coming home drunk, the redhead promised not to tell her parents about the situation. Despite her luck, Hana felt that she had interrupted something between Kim and Shego. The two women had barely said anything and wouldn't stop blushing at each other during breakfast.

Something must've happened last night, Hana thought. But they're not "glowing"... Oh, eww, why am I thinking about this sort of stuff. I should get out of here... and maybe head over to the house. I think Anne needs help with setting it up with Christmas decorations...

"Uh, Kim?" Hana looked over at the redhead who was still a million miles away - in actuality, she was sitting on the couch aimlessly flipping through a magazine. Shego was seated beside the redhead, her shoulders barely touching Kim's, and had taken up a sudden interest in the weather channel. "Kim?" Hana poked the redhead to get her attention.

"Hm?"

Again, that dazed look on Kim's face made Hana want to laugh. "When are you planning to head over to your house for the holiday?"

"Oh, not sure... still have a few things to fix with the paper, but it's looking like I'll be over on Christmas Eve..."

"I'm probably going to head over there tomorrow or the day after. I think I should help out your parents with decorations..." Hana noticed that Shego was trying hard not to eavesdrop - but really, the older woman was just sitting there and the conversation was within earshot.

"It's..." Kim looked over at the calendar on the coffee table. "Oh, it's a week until Christmas Eve? Time is flying way too quickly. Do you need help with packing or anything?"

"Nah, I'll just stuff everything into my suitcase and I'll be good. It'll take me maybe half an hour tops."

"Do you need a ride? I can drive you over," replied the redhead.

"Nah, you're busy." Hana shrugged. "I can get one from your dad, I'll just call him and head over to the space centre."

"Ok," replied Kim.

"I'm going to head out for a bit... get some fresh air... my head still sort of hurts, but I should be fine."

"Call or beep me if you're not," said Kim sternly. "And don't go to another party tonight... not when you're still feeling kind of sick."

"Yes, yes, I gotcha," said Hana as she grabbed her coat. "See ya later, Sheegz!"

Shego nodded and waved as Hana left the apartment. Grinning, she turned off the TV, tossed the remote onto the love seat, crawled on top of Kim and whispered, "So, where were we?"

* * *

In record time, they had made it to Kim's bedroom. By 'record', they took almost half an hour.

The two women had taken their time getting to the bedroom because, well, Kim was at a disadvantage. The weight of Shego's body had pinned her to the couch, so she had to wrestle her way out of Shego's grip. Of course, that being said, wrestling with one's girlfriend while trying to kiss the life out of them called for drastic measures and dirty tactics: tickling.

With the older woman falling onto the floor in a giggle fit, the redhead had pinned Shego to the ground and began kissing the older woman wherever her lips could reach. It was only when Shego stopped resisting that things became serious... Or, heated, as one would say.

Given that Kim was practically straddled on top of the older woman, she began tugging at Shego's t-shirt, a dark green v-neck that accentuated more than just her girlfriend's body, but also brought out the colour of her eyes. Not being one to give in so easily, Shego tried to sit up as Kim pushed her down. The floor, being uncomfortable as it was, creaked as the two struggled for control.

Laughing, Shego commented, "Careful now, Princess, we wouldn't want to break the floorboards."

"Didn't know you like it rough, Shego. I better up my game," responded the redhead as she tried again at pulling Shego's shirt off.

Honestly, Kim thought, I should just rip it off, but it's a nice shirt...

Taking advantage of Kim's sudden distraction, Shego sat all the way up, causing Kim to fall over to the side. She then pinned the redhead to the ground by straddling her.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Kimmie, you shouldn't have gotten lost in your own thoughts." Shego licked her lips - seductively, of course - before smothering the redhead with kisses.

Somehow, just somehow, for the redhead was a clever little minx, Shego felt two hands roam around the upper half of her body. A tiny moan escaped Shego's throat as the hands found their way to her breasts. Within seconds (maybe milliseconds), the bra was undone and a mischievous smile appeared on Kim's face.

Shego grinned. "My, my, you're sneaky."

"I'm just full of surprises, didn't you know?" winked the redhead. "Now, come on, there's no point wearing a bra if it's undone... Or a shirt, for that matter. Hell, who needs clothes?"

Laughing, Shego stood up and, in one fluid motion, she had lifted Kim from the floor.

"Hey! Put me down!"

"Stop squirming, Kimmie, or you're going to smack your head into the doorframe," said Shego as she walked towards the bedroom.

Much to her surprise, Kim was tossed lightly onto the bed and Shego came at her again. This time, the older woman fiddled with Kim's shirt as her mouth began attacking the redhead's clavicle. Kim forcefully removed Shego's mouth on her collarbone and repositioned it to her own mouth. The kiss was bruising, to say the least, but both women realised how much each desired the other by how forceful had become.

How they managed to get the clothes off while in liplock was a mystery, but when they were in the nude, the touch of flesh brought out new energies in both women.

Shego had positioned herself on top of Kim, with one knee wedged between the redhead, as she explored every inch of Kim's body. As hands travelled lower and lower, Kim could feel her heart rate speed up and excitement raging through her veins. It was only when she yelled out in pleasure as Shego caressed her that she realised something.

It wasn't really about who was on top, or who was on the bottom: it became a battle of showing the other their worth emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

To some regard, the type of sex that people have can be considered casual: a common interest to release lustful desires, with no emotional cost. The other, fucking, is to physically feel the actions associated with the act by giving into the most carnal of desires, however violent one makes it to be.

Shego had the same revelation when the redhead surprised her by flipping her over on the bed - their positions reversed. Kim was gentle in her touch, but firm as her mouth travelled lower and lower. The older woman had tightly gripped the bed sheets as an explosion of senses filled her body. It was the first time, in a long time, that she felt the sensation of being loved. Oh, yes, she was quite certain Kim loved her.

As hands roamed and passions ignited, it became clear to both of them what they were doing. They were not 'just having sex for the sake of having sex', nor were they fucking for a good time, but were engaging in a sensual act that showed how much they loved each other. As mouths travelled, moans escaped, and pleasure rocked their cores, the two women had never felt so complete... so whole.

They say that actions speak louder than words. While neither woman could bring herself to say those three words, their fluid movements made it quite clear: they were making love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Canada Day.
> 
> Sorry, readers, this was the best I could do... I can't write this sort of stuff at all - honestly, I just started laughing when editing because it's just so bad... And I'm still laughing after writing it because I can't make it any better.
> 
> In all honesty, I did not want to up the rating from T to M, so this'll have to do. Although, I'm not even sure whether it properly belongs in the T rating either since FFNet recently reinforced their stance on M-rated fics... Oh well?
> 
> Also, terribly sorry about this chapter. It sounds like a bad softcore porno or something. :S
> 
> Chapter title is from "The Future" and "The Villain" by Austra, and "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol.


	51. Take A Chance On A Broken Heart

They awoke in the afternoon in each other's arms. Rubbing her eyes, Shego sat up to take a good look at Kim. She had noticed that she really liked watching Kim sleep - the redhead looked very much at peace in her sleep, not to mention the fact that she was just simply adorable.

The redhead slowly stirred awake and when she opened her eyes, her first reaction was to grab the blanket to cover her body.

Shego broke out laughing. "Princess, believe me, I think I've seen all of you already. Don't be so shy." She tugged on the blanket as Kim held onto it for dear life. Kim had turned red and the blush had spread to her shoulders. Shego kissed each joint before giving Kim a hug. "Hey, don't be so shy." She frowned as a thought crossed her mind. "Or, are you embarrassed?"

Kim shook her head. "I could never be embarrassed about what happened... I'm just, y'know... Actually I don't know. I'm not being particularly articulate right now because I'm at a loss for words..."

"Can't describe how you feel?"

Kim nodded.

"Me too... I'm just... happy that you feel the same."

"Yeah," replied the redhead as she took Shego's hand in hers.

They sat like that for a while longer before Shego broke the silence. "So... Shower... You want to share?"

Kim grinned and dragged her girlfriend to the bathroom.

* * *

When Hana returned in the evening, she found Kim and Shego asleep on the couch. She hadn't bothered with calling Kim since she didn't want to interrupt her sister's private time with Shego. She noticed that their t-shirts were swapped; in the morning, Kim was wearing a red shirt and Shego a green v-neck tee, but now they were switched...

Well, something must've happened, thought the teen. Good thing I went out for a bit.

The teen had wandered around the city and had run into that jerk Will in the book store. Apparently, Christmas time was the best time to pick up a lot of accounting books and magazines, for that was what the young man was doing when she accidentally walked into him. He had scoffed at her and given her a look of disdain as she helped him pick up his books. Hana tried to be civil, to say the least, and asked him what his plans for the holiday were, only to receive a look of annoyance.

"I'm going to be enjoying the comfort of my own home, reading these books," said Will as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"That seems like something boring, don't you celebrate at all?"

"Since when does someone like you want to know what I do during my off-time? Surely you should be out attending a party of some sort," snapped the young man.

Hana honestly wanted to deck the man right then and there, but she restrained herself and said, "Oh, so I'm the party type?"

"It seems most logical, given the way you are dressed with that frivolous hairstyle."

Oh, she really wanted to punch him. "Didn't your mommy tell you not to judge books by their covers?"

Will balked at his rebuttal. Of course, Mrs. Du had taught him that, but he wasn't going to give into the teen's satisfaction by answering her.

Hana laughed. "See you around, Will."

The young man startled the teen by grabbing her arm. "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name."

"Hana. Hana Stoppable."

"I see, you're that Stoppable boy's sister."

"What's that supposed to mean?" snapped Hana.

"It means nothing, I was merely stating a fact," replied Will matter-of-factly.

Hana narrowed her eyes and then shrugged. "Whatever."

"See you around, Hana."

Hana looked at the two sleeping women again. They were slumped on each other and were holding hands. How cute, she thought. She went to the guest room and began packing her things.

When she was done, she wrote Kim a note that she decided to leave early and had called James to pick her up at the Space Centre. She also wrote on the note that she would call Kim once she got to the Possibles' house.

* * *

The next week had flown by so quickly that Shego wasn't sure whether she was living in a dream or that time seemed to move quicker whenever she was with Kim. They had somehow worked out a system where they each would spend half of the week at the other's.

Of course, given that deadlines needed to be met, both were too busy to actually enjoy the little bit of time they had with each other.

When it was Christmas Eve, they were both rushing to pack their things to head over to the Possibles'. Unfortunately, Kim was so busy that she was unable to stop by the house earlier in the week to help Anne and Hana with decorations, food preparation, and wrapping gifts. She had talked it out with Shego and they had decided to give gifts together to make things easier. They had taken turns buying the presents after coming to compromises for both families, so by the time the car was loaded up, the presents took up most of the back seat.

Prior to leaving, Shego had stopped by Betty's apartment and gave her friend a present. The one-eyed woman smirked as she read the card.

"From Shego and Kim, how cute."

"Yeah, yeah, anyway, I gotta jet. Have a good one."

"Shego, wait." Betty shoved two presents into Shego's hands as her friend raised an eyebrow.

"Merry Christmas."

"Heh, Betty Director actually giving my girlfriend a gift? That's a first."

"I never liked your exes, Shego, you know that. I'm actually quite fond of Kim, she's a great business partner."

"Ahh, I see, all for the business- Ow!"

Betty had playfully slugged Shego in the arm. "You know what I mean, she's good for you."

"All right, all right. Thanks, Bets. Merry Christmas to you too."

"Have a good one. See you in two weeks, and give my regards to your family."

"Will... Du," laughed Shego.

Betty shook her head. "You shouldn't make puns out of your colleague's name..." She grinned. "But, I admit, it is funny."

* * *

Kim and Shego pulled up on the Possibles' driveway and took a moment to revel in the sight. Shego had never seen a house decorated from roof to porch with everything Christmas.

"Wow, Pumpkin, your family goes all-out on Christmas?"

Kim shrugged. "Yeah, I don't think warning you would've done you any good."

"Well, I'm telling you my family does a fraction of this... Wow. This is actually pretty amazing."

They took all their things as Kim opened the door. At her parents' insistence, the redhead always kept a key to the house, even though she had officially moved out shortly after finishing college.

"Mom? Dad? Tweebs? Hana? Shego and I are here," shouted the redhead as she helped her girlfriend put presents under the tree.

The tree was decorated with the most interesting of ornaments, ranging from tiny planets, rockets, to the usual baubles. Shego grinned when she found a newspaper ornament on the tree.

"Cute," commented the older woman.

"Present from my parents when I first worked there." Kim carefully placed the presents, making sure not to topple the growing pile as Shego took a look around.

From what she remembered, she couldn't recall seeing a lot of family photos on display in the living room. There were some during her last visit, but not the amount that was displayed before her. She smiled as she found a picture of Kim's first Christmas and chuckled, "You sure were a cute little cherub, Kimmie."

"Who's to say I'm not as cute now?"

"I wouldn't say you're a cherub with the things we do in be-mmm-!" Kim placed a hand on Shego's mouth and gave her a look that practically said, "Don't say another word about what we do in bed, or else."

Shego raised an eyebrow to counter the "or else" when Anne walked in. Kim immediately let go of Shego's mouth and hugged her mom.

"Kimmie! Sorry, we didn't hear you come in since we were out back fixing some of the pesky lights."

"No worries, I guess this is where the key is useful..."

"Of course. After all, you and Shego are welcome any time." Turning towards Shego, Anne gave the woman a smile. "Shego, so good to see you again. I understand that you'll be travelling to Go City tomorrow with Kim?"

Shego nodded. "If that's ok with you? I know having Kim around just for one day isn't much, but we'll probably stay in Go City for a week and then return here to celebrate the New Year? Of course, Kim doesn't have to-"

"Nonsense," replied Anne. "Your family is expecting the both of you, so it's fine."

"Thanks, Anne." Shego gave the woman a smile, just as Hana entered the room.

"Hey Kim! Sheegz!"

Shego could see that Anne's eyes lit up in amusement upon hearing Hana's nickname for her, and merely replied with a "Hey, Hana." Much to her surprise, the teen had hugged her, so she returned it with a light squeeze. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good. You are going to be in for a treat tonight-"

"Hana, shhh. We're not going to discuss the dinner menu - it's a surprise..." commented Anne, who then laughed. "Well, not anymore."

"Ah, right," replied Hana. She winked at Kim and Shego. "You'll see later tonight. We went all-out with the food."

"Can't wait," smiled Kim. "Mom, where are the Tweebs?"

"Tweebs?" echoed Shego. She had heard Kim refer to her brothers with that nickname before, but wasn't sure what it meant.

"Kimmie, you know that nickname is a bit dated," laughed Anne. Noticing the confusion on Shego's face, the older Possible clarified, "It's a portmanteau of 'twins' and 'dweebs'. Together, they're 'tweebs'. Kim made up that nickname for Jim and Tim when she was in high school... I hardly think they are dweebs now, Kimmie. They're smart, young men."

"Who will always be my geeky, little twin brothers, Mom."

Anne smiled. "They're in the basement with your father... Trying to redesign the lighting circuit for the outdoor lights."

"Ok, I'll drop by downstairs and say hi." Kim took Shego by the hand as they exited the living room.

"I see that Kim and Shego aren't as shy anymore about their relationship," commented Anne after Kim left. She had smiled when her daughter entwined fingers with Shego.

"Yep, I think something or several things happened when I wasn't around, or something," laughed Hana.

Anne nodded in understanding. "Or 'something'... Come, Hana, let's put some final touches to dessert. Everyone's going to be in for a treat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's speed up the time frame. :P
> 
> I've actually had this written up for more than a month... Er, everything up to Chapter 58 is drafted. Just got to take the time with editing... It's also a bit strange to write about Christmas when it's summer and crazy hot outside...
> 
> Chapter title is from "You're Gonna Love Again" by NERVO.


	52. I Wonder What This Night Will Bring

"Wow."

"Wooooow."

"Boys, don't open your mouth like that at the dinner table," remarked James as he poured everyone, even Hana, a glass of red wine.

Jim recovered first. "This is amazing, Mom! Hana, did you cook most of this?"

Hana blushed and shook her head. "I merely helped Anne with a few things..."

"Don't be so modest, Hana, you did as much as I did... Probably even more."

Hana mumbled something about it being a team effort as everyone gazed at the spread.

It was a very impressive spread that included a ten pound turkey that was oven-roasted to an exquisite golden brown colour, mashed and roasted potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, steamed vegetables, mini mince pies, and plum pudding.

"How long did it take for you to prep all of this?" asked Shego. She was genuinely impressed and had wondered whether it did take Hana and Anne an entire week to prepare the meal.

Hana counted silently with her fingers. "About four days? The plum pudding took a while since I was looking around for the right ingredients. It was actually my first time making it, so I hope it turned out ok."

"I'm sure it did," replied Anne as she patted the young girl on the shoulder. "Let's say grace and dig in."

* * *

"Ohhhh, I'm so full that I think I'll just fall asleep in my chair."

James laughed. "Don't fall asleep just yet, Shego. It's a Possible tradition to watch the Snowman Hank Christmas special on Christmas Eve."

Shego nodded. "My brothers loved watching that special too. We'd all huddle around the TV when we were kids."

"Come, let's go to the living room then."

Kim, Hana, and the twins were already in the room when Shego and James entered. Shego sat beside Kim on the floor as Hana put in the DVD. Anne had come in with eggnog and several cups on a tray, and passed cups around to everyone.

As the special started playing, Shego noticed that Kim was holding onto Hana's hand. The teen had a pensive look on her face, as of trying to dig out a memory from the recesses of her mind. It was not exactly a sad expression, nor was it happy. Remembering what Kim had said about Ron and Snowman Hank (and the Fearless Ferret), she understood why watching this Christmas special became a tradition: it was Hana's way of remembering her brother and her parents. While they weren't with her, they lived on in her memory, and within the Christmas spirit at the Possibles'.

Noticing that her girlfriend appeared fixated on her hand atop Hana's, Kim took her free hand and clasped it onto Shego's. The clasp transformed into entwinement and a smile appeared on Shego's face.

Anne and James noticed the exchange and smiled to each other. Shego was initially quiet during dinner, but by the end of it, she had joined in on everyone's conversation. James had taken a liking to the woman as she appeared, much to Kim's surprise, knowledgeable in a range of topics, not just about graphics design, physics, or business. He had a lengthy discussion with her about the different types of wines and vineyards, as she discussed with Anne about the various breakthroughs in neurobiology.

* * *

Prior to serving dessert, James had retrieved the wine glasses from the table and spoke with his wife who was taking out Hana's pudding from the fridge.

"What do you think?"

"About what, dear?" Anne knew what her husband was asking about, but wanted to humour herself with the question. She, too, was surprised about Shego's knowledge of neuroscience and had answered Shego's questions in detail, boring the twins and Hana whereas Kim listened intently.

"Shego and Kim?"

"We're having this conversation again?"

"I'm just surprised about how knowledgeable she is. She's not what I thought she'd be."

"Is that a bad thing, James? It takes time to warm up to the parents... Usually."

"You can understand my hesitation and skepticism, Anne."

"I do, but we trust Kim's judgement, so we can't do much. She's very much her own woman now, not our fifteen year old daughter who still has a curfew."

"I know. It's just that I am actually impressed with Shego. She's intelligent, has a great sense of humour, and suits our Kimmie."

"I'm glad you think that, James, because your opinion does matter to Kim."

"I know. I just don't want to see her hurt-"

"Dad? Mom? What's taking so long with dessert? The Tweebs are whining..." Kim had walked into the kitchen, unaware that her parents were, well, gossiping about her.

"Your father and I were just reminiscing about how all of you have grown," said Anne as she winked at James.

"Kimmie, it's just so hard to believe how much time has passed since you were just a little girl."

"Aw, dad, don't be like that. We can't help it if time just flies by."

"I know," replied James. "We're just so proud of the beautiful, young woman you've become. And we're glad you're happy. It makes your mom and I happy too."

Kim hugged her parents and said, "Me too." She motioned towards the dessert. "Shall we? I think the twins might drive Hana crazy if they keep whining."

And that they did. When the three Possibles entered the dining room, Hana and the twins were causing a fuss while Shego watched them with an amused expression on her face.

"Boys, stop fussing, dessert's here," said James.

The twins stuck out their tongues at Hana and sat back into their seats, while the young teen scoffed and took up her seat beside Shego. She asked, "What took so long?"

"We wanted to give all of you ample time before stuffing yourselves again," smiled Anne.

"I'm not sure whether I can move... I'm just super full," replied Shego as she patted her stomach for emphasis.

"You'll work it off later anyway... With Kim," snickered Tim.

When Shego and Kim turned red, the twins high fived. "Hicka bicka boo? Hoo-sha!"

Anne wanted to laugh, but kept a serious face as she said, "Boys, don't embarrass our guest like that." Turning to Shego, she smiled, "I guess this is what holidays are for - eating well after all that hard work. I know for a fact that Kim doesn't eat well unless Hana and I feed her."

"Mom!" exclaimed the redhead. Her blush had darkened when she said, "It's ok, Shego's been feeding me and making sure I eat actual food..."

"Good, good," replied Anne with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Come now, let's eat Hana's pudding."

Shego leaned over and whispered into Kim's ear. "And I've been feeding you how? I know you've been eating-" Before the woman could continue, Kim kicked her girlfriend under the table.

Wincing in pain, Shego stifled a laugh as Kim hissed quietly. "No dirty talk at the table!"

Jim and Tim looked up to see a smug Shego and a flustered Kim. They turned to each other and grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shego's bold. Talking about this stuff at the dinner table. ;-)
> 
> I looked at the time stamp on the draft of this chapter. I wrote this in late May... and am only uploading this now in late July. Whoops.
> 
> Chapter title is from "A Great Big Sled" by The Killers.


	53. Christmastime is Here

When the DVD finished playing, Kim had hugged Hana and whispered something inaudible into the teen's ear. Hana nodded and kissed Kim on the cheek before leaving to go to bed. Shego caught her before she went up the stairs and ruffled her hair.

"Merry Christmas, Hana."

"You too, Shego." The teen hugged the older woman and mumbled, "Thanks for putting a smile on Kim's face again."

"Any time."

Kim watched the two from the hall as her mother approached. "They get along quite well," commented Anne.

Kim nodded as her mother put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about Hana, Kim. She's strong. Give her time." Anne squeezed her shoulder. "You too. We all miss them."

"Thanks, mom."

Shego was walking towards the two women and noticed the somber looks on their faces. She felt a bit helpless because she couldn't help them in any way, but when Kim smiled at her, she realised that the Possible family would overcome the grief in due time.

Kim took Shego's hand in hers and Anne bid them good night to join James with cleaning the living room. The presents were all placed under the tree now and even a plate of cookies and glass of milk was left out on the table closest to the tree.

Squeezing Kim's hand, Shego led them upstairs to Kim's loft. The redhead sat next to the window that overlooked her street. She pointed in the distance, "All the lights..."

Shego peered out the window and saw the rest of the neighbourhood illuminated in a haze of red, yellow, and green. "It's pretty," she commented. "My neighbourhood probably pales in comparison..."

"I never noticed the colours before... All the Christmases in the past were dull and boring, but this year, it's been different. You brought colour back into my life again... I can't thank you enough."

Shego cupped Kim's face and used her thumb to wipe the lone tear that fell. "I should be the one thanking you, Kim. If you had walked away, we wouldn't have _this_." She leaned in and smiled as their foreheads touched. "Merry Christmas, Kim."

The redhead smiled as warm lips touched her own.

* * *

Kim quietly tiptoed down the stairs as she made her way to the living room. The presents were still under the tree but she noticed that the glass of milk and cookies next to the tree were gone.

As she edged her way over to the tree, someone cleared their throat. Kim looked at the door frame and was surprised she didn't hear her girlfriend follow her downstairs.

"Really, Pumpkin, you should wait until the rest of the family's up before going through the presents."

Kim blushed as she smiled sheepishly. "Just wanted to see what you got me... But I should wait for everyone to wake up..."

Shego smirked. "Bad Kimmie, maybe I should just take your present back then."

Kim pouted, but then grinned. "It's ok, I already have the best present of all."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"You," said Kim as she planted a kiss on Shego, before realising they had an audience.

"Ugh, Kim, get a-"

"-room!" shouted the Dweebs as they stared in horror at their sister making out with her girlfriend.

"Now, boys, let then have their moment," laughed Anne as she picked up the empty glass and plate. "Although, this is what I did not expect to see when I came down for Christmas morning."

Kim and Shego blushed and then shuffled to the back of the room as Anne laughed.

"What's all this ruckus?" asked James as he entered the room. "All of you woke up early to open presents?"

Everyone in the room answered in unison, "Yes!"

James laughed. "I think Hana's still asleep, let's just have breakfast first before we open presents, ok?"

The twins groaned in disappointment as Kim and Shego followed Anne into the kitchen to help start breakfast.

"Kimmie, can you go set the table and wake Hana? Shego and I can handle the actual cooking," said Anne.

"Sure, mom," replied Kim as she took a stack of plates into the dining room.

"Shego, how do you fare with cooking scrambled eggs and pancakes?"

"Ok with the eggs, not so good with making pancakes..." replied Shego.

"If it's ok with you, can you start on the eggs? I'll show you the Possible secrets for making the perfect pancakes." Anne handed Shego an apron as the pale woman tied up her hair.

"Should I be flattered that I get to help out for breakfast?"

Anne smiled as she began mixing pancake batter. "Kimmie is clumsy in the kitchen, I think you know that, but her and making pancakes don't mix."

Shego chuckled. "She's getting better at cooking, I think. She made chicken pot pies one night when she got off work early."

"Oh? That's a big step from crying while cutting up onions..." Anne began pouring the batter onto the griddle as Shego stirred the eggs. "So how's everything going?"

Shego knew, in the back of her mind, that Anne was asking about the relationship, so she decided to be frank but subtle with the older Possible. "Everything's been going well, as long as Kim's happy, I'm happy."

Anne nodded as she dumped a stack of pancakes on a plate. "Happiness is like a warm blanket, it makes you feel good inside... I'm glad you both feel that way."

Shego chuckled. "Anne, did you just quote Peanuts?"

Anne smiled at Shego as more pancakes were flipped. "Yes, yes, I did."

"Schulz was profound in many ways. I particularly liked how he portrayed Charlie Brown's insecurities and self-doubts..."

"You know, Shego, James and I are beginning to think you would've been successful at any field you studied. You just seem so knowledgeable about, well, everything," chuckled Anne. "Kimmie's got quite the catch."

Shego blushed. "I just really liked reading as a child... I've probably read through all the books in my father's study twice or thrice. And I indulged in comic strips every now and then... Particularly the slice-of-life ones. There's a certain grain of truth in the ridiculousness in some of the situations the characters are in... Like Charlie Brown constantly failing. It just makes me feel like I can always be a better person, if I tried."

"Don't try to change yourself just because you feel like we, or other people, won't accept you, Shego," commented Anne as she now started making the pancake syrup. "I honestly think you're a great person, despite the fact that this is our second meeting. Charlie Brown's constant failures are just for comic relief purposes, regardless of how Schulz claimed that the character is a self-portrait of himself."

She rummaged through a cabinet and found the vanilla extract. "We all have had our failures, whether they are academic, work-related, or romantic in nature, Shego. We just have to learn to live with them and just move on. It doesn't mean you have to change as a whole. Just be yourself. Don't turn into someone you're not just because you don't fit into someone else's ideals."

Shego turned off the stove since she was done with the eggs. Noticing that Anne had laid out bread on plates, she began to put them into the toaster. "Heh, I wish my brother understood that." Noticing the confusion on Anne's face, she added, "My oldest brother, Horace, doesn't approve of my lifestyle and, uh, sexual preferences. I'm just hoping he won't cause a scene because Kim will be there."

The toaster dinged and Shego put in the next batch. "At first, his reaction was funny, but it's now just a nuisance."

"He must really not approve of your lifestyle."

"It's none of his business, really, but he makes it his business."

"Perhaps you should look at it in a different light, Shego," said Anne as she stirred the syrup. "He's probably just looking out for you...?" The grim look on Shego's face told her otherwise.

"No, he grew up in a world of black and white, that's all. Horace is one of a kind," chuckled Shego. "Sadly, I have to bear the brunt of his remarks every time I visit Go City." Shego laughed bitterly. "My parents have tried to stop him, but he has no filter. I just don't want him giving Kim a hard time."

The toaster dinged again and Shego put in the last batch of bread.

"Kim's handled much worse, so she should be able to handle your brother..." remarked Anne as she took a spoonful of syrup and offered it to Shego. "Taste test."

Shego nodded. "This is great. Hana also made something similar but yours has an extra kick to it... It can't be the vanilla...?"

Anne winked. "Possible family secret. Though, I'll send you the recipe in an email later."

"Sure, that'll be great."

* * *

"Hana." Kim gently tapped the sleeping teen on the shoulder. She had knocked before entering. Not hearing a response, she open the door and sat on the edge of the bed. It had been maybe half a year since she had been inside Hana's room in the house. She looked around and smiled.

The teen had posters of her favourite rock bands, chefs, and television shows plastered on the wall. On her bedside table were two photographs: a Stoppable family portrait and a picture of her, Ron, Rufus, and Kim. The picture of the four was taken some time after Hana's parents died. Kim picked up the photograph and ran her fingers over Ron's smiling face.

They had just began working at the Middleton Daily and Hana just started high school. The picture was taken after an impromptu trip to the Stoppable cottage, where happy memories were made in Hana's youth. They had gone back there again to hold a vigil and to take Hana away from all the negativity in the Stoppable house. Everything there remained Hana of how she was helpless to do anything about the car accident. The cottage, on the other hand, reminded both Stoppable children of their most cherished childhood summer memories: fishing at the lake, camping outside and drinking their mother's homemade hot chocolate. Ron had asked Kim to come along on the trip, knowing that the redhead had a closer relationship to his sister and did a much better job at comforting the teen.

I've been there from the start to now, Kim thought. How much more pain does Hana have to go through before she's at peace?

She ran a hand through Hana's hair as the teen slept. She continued looking at the Stoppable family portrait as more memories flooded her thoughts.

Kim remembered that day when Ron wouldn't stop complaining about how his parents forced him into a rental tux for the photo. Hana had worn an elegant red dress for the photo, but her hair was much longer than it was at present. She had cut it shortly after going to France, so when she came back for a visit, the Possibles couldn't recognise her at the airport.

Kim studied Hana's features as she gave her sister more time for shut-eye. Life worked out in strange ways, she knew, but she truly wished nothing else would happen to the teen. Despite her carefree demeanour, Hana was very fragile. While the redhead did not know what Hana's life was in Paris, she honestly hoped she was happier there since there was no constant reminder of her family's passing.

The Possible house was decorated with photos from both families, but Kim knew that it didn't make it easy for Hana to move on. She knew her parents had the best intentions to keep the Stoppables alive in memory, but it just made things difficult. Even for her, her own apartment was not adorned with photos of the past. There was maybe a handful photos of her childhood and teenage years that the redhead kept lying around: everything else was packed in a box in her closet. Shego had asked her about it once and all the redhead could do was just shrug and tell her girlfriend not to dwell on the past.

* * *

"I hardly think it's dwelling if you keep more photos around," Shego said.

"You don't think it would be?"

"You'll just be reminded of good times, but you won't be fixated on changing history... Would you?"

"Sometimes I do, even without the pictures," murmured Kim.

Shego rolled on her side and placed a hand on Kim's shoulder. "Sorry, it was out of my place to make a comment about it... I understand how it would make you feel. Sorry."

Kim snuggled closer to Shego on the bed. "It's fine. I'm more worried about Hana staying at my parents' house. It's decorated with photos."

"It's not always a bad thing to remember them. But if Hana's really troubled about them, she should tell your parents... I'm sure they'd understand."

Kim shook her head. "She's only really back in Middleton for Christmas and summer break... But most of the time, she'll just end up staying with me."

"I guess you can just stick with whatever photos you have then..."

"What about you, Shego? I've only really seen photos of the Wegos... Not your other brothers and parents."

Shego let out a chuckle. "You're very observant."

"I studied journalism and wanted to do some reporting work..."

"Sharp eye... Well, you know how much I dislike Hego. If I had pictures of Mego, he'd just go on and on about how I should have more of him whenever he visits - which is maybe once a year. I'd rather not give him the pleasure of letting him talk about himself more."

"And your parents?"

"They actually haven't visited me since I moved to Middleton... It's not that they don't want to, they're pretty busy and they know I just wanted some space away from Go City when I moved." Shego sighed, "Away from them too. Just temporarily. I visit for their birthdays and other family gatherings though."

"Ah, I see..."

"Not having pictures of my parents in the apartment doesn't make me a bad person, right?" asked the older woman.

"No, it doesn't. It just surprised me a little since you seem to be on good terms with both of them - you said that they were supportive and everything..."

"I don't know how to describe it... I mean, I have pictures of me as a kid with them in my room-"

"-You do?"

"Er, in my desk drawer. I'll show you next time. But, it's just that when I came out here, I wanted a life of my own. I didn't need reminders of what life in Go City was like back then... Besides, the pictures of me with the twins were taken at your house at Thanksgiving."

"That's true... I didn't realise that."

"Kim, whatever happens with Hana, just know I'm here to help you too."

"I know."

* * *

Kim was pulled out of her thoughts when Hana yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Kim?"

"Hey, just stopped by your room to wake you up. It's time for breakfast."

"Ok..." The teen noticed that Kim was gazing at the Stoppable family photograph. "I had a dream about them... They told me not to worry... And that I shouldn't be so sad."

"Oh, Hana," murmured Kim before enveloping the teen in a hug. "I'm sure that's what they want you to be: happier." She felt Hana nod, so she patted the teen's back. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up and we'll have breakfast and then open presents, ok?"

"Ok."

* * *

"Oh. My. God."

"Hana's in shock," laughed Jim.

"Just look at her face," chuckled Tim.

Anne and James merely laughed as the teen made indiscernible sounds after she had unwrapped her Christmas present from Shego and Kim.

"Ah... uh... THANK YOU SO MUCH!" shouted the teen when she recovered from the shock. The couple had managed to get Hana a Chef Morimoto cooking set and Chef Hanson set of cutting knives. The Morimoto set was a collection of high-end pots, pans, and other utensils used by celebrity chefs around the world. The knives were famous for their versatility and light weight: perfect for any chef in any kind of kitchen. The total value of both sets was a considerable sum of money, something a working student could not afford, so Hana was just in awe.

Shego ruffled the teen's hair. "I'd better expect a feast from you when you come back in the summer."

Hana startled the older woman by giving her a bear hug as Kim watched on affectionately.

"Thank you, thank you!" mumbled Hana after she let go of Shego.

"Don't thank me, it was all Kim's idea," laughed Shego.

The teen then proceeded to bear hug her sister, who merely laughed. "It was all Shego... She managed to get all of the sets even when the store said they were out of them."

Shego shrugged. "I just know people."

Hana smiled. "I'll make sure to put them in good use when I'm back in Paris."

More presents were unwrapped: Tim and Jim got limited editions of Feynman lectures, Anne got a _Wonders of Neuroscience_ anthology, and James nearly squealed out in delight when he unwrapped a pristine copy of Kepler's _Somnium_. From the twins, Kim got a handmade snow globe that featured the Daily Middleton in the background and the colours and precipitation type changed according to miniscule changes in room temperature. Shego had received a handmade miniature replica of a cyclotron particle accelerator, complete with buckyball magnets that mimicked the movement of charged particles in the accelerator. Hana had gotten a Jim and Tim Possible (copyright and patent pending) portable convection oven, and the Doctors Possible had received matching scrubs and lab coats that changed colours according to the atmospheric pressure and humidity levels in their workplaces.

From the Doctors Possibles, the twins were given a set of keys: the parents had paid the down payment for an apartment closer to campus. They now had a place for themselves, instead of renting rooms in the graduate house, that was big enough for them to build gadgets and other contraptions without overtaking their peers' lab spaces at the university. For Hana, they had given her another Morimoto product: an ice cream maker. For Kim, the doctors gave her a Cooking 101 guidebook, complete with instructional videos and the Possible family's "secret" recipes. When Hana saw the present, she merely chuckled and patted Kim on the arm. For Shego, the doctors had thought about it long and hard and had decided to give her tickets to a prestigious design and art show in Upperton.

"Why does it seem like I got the shorter end of the stick?" groaned Kim as she flipped through her present.

"It's now or never, Kimmie-cub," laughed James. "I'm sure Shego can help you out with learning how to cook... Otherwise, we could still send you off to France to learn."

Shego smiled warmly at James' remark. She had decided to stick with her original plan. She cleared her throat and handed Kim an envelope.

"What's this? Shego, you didn't have to..."

The older woman shrugged as she watched Kim open the envelope carefully.

Kim blinked, stared at the contents of the envelope and then stared at Shego. "You can't be serious."

"What is it?" asked the twins.

Kim handed the present to the twins who took one look and said, "Whoa! Isn't he-"

"My favourite chef in the world, yes." Kim stared wide-eyed at her girlfriend. "How did you-"

Shego shrugged. "I know people."

The twins handed the envelope to the doctors who smiled. "Private couple cooking lessons with Chef Abe Morimoto... That is several steps above our gift," laughed Anne.

"I didn't mean to- I mean, it was just a coincidence that I, uh, got these..." stuttered Shego. She did not have any intention to make the doctors look bad in front of their daughter.

"Don't worry about it, Shego," laughed Anne. "If anything, she can train herself and practice before meeting Chef Morimoto."

Tim snickered. "Pressure's-"

"-on!" completed Jim.

"Maybe we should have also gotten her a pressure cooker," mused Hana.

Kim shook her head. "I'm going to need maybe a lot of time to practice... This is insane! How did you manage to get these?"

"My parents are friends with the mayor of Go City, who is a friend of Chef Morimoto," replied Shego.

"So you've met him before?"

"Uh, maybe once or twice back in college..."

"That's so cool! Aw... My present isn't as great as yours," said the redhead as she handed Shego a small package.

Unwrapping the gift slowly, Shego noticed that Kim was actually nervous. When the wrapping paper was put to the side, Shego took a good look: there was a catalogue of some sort and a green beret. Shego carefully flipped through the catalogue and commented, "This is... a travel brochure for Paris?"

Kim nodded. "Check the back."

Shego flipped to the back and two plane tickets fell out. "Departing on January 5th and returning on January 20th... Wait, don't we have work?"

Kim shook her head. "I finally took my vacation days." Before Shego could get a word in, Kim also added, "And I spoke to Betty about giving you a break too."

"Wow, this is actually the best gift I've ever gotten. Not having to deal with Betty about holidays and I get to spend time with you... In France, of all places!" laughed Shego. She gave Kim a hug and peck on the cheek. "So Bonnie's running the show until you get back?"

"Yup, and Betty said she'd figure out things."

"Speaking of whom, these are from her..." Shego pulled two presents that were hidden under a pile of crumpled wrapping paper. She handed Kim one and slowly began to open hers.

"Wow, this is a very nice pashmina scarf," said Kim as she pulled out an emerald scarf that matched her eyes.

Shego nodded as she took out a similar scarf in maroon. "Hey, there's a card. 'Shego, have fun during your time off - paint the town red!'" She chuckled. "Betty is so witty..."

Kim laughed and rummaged through her package. "Oh, hey, there's a travel guide in mine... Oh, she even wrote a note inside. 'Kim, take care of Shego - make sure she comes back well-educated about art and cultured. Bon voyage!'"

"Psh, well-educated, my a-" Shego bit her tongue after realising the doctors Possible were in the room. She laughed sheepishly before clearing her throat. "I'm cultured..."

"Time to be even more cultured," laughed Kim.

Hana suddenly realised something. "Hey! What flight number is your ticket? We're leaving the same day!"

"I booked it so we'd be on the same row.. So yes, Hana, we're on the same flight."

"Sweet!" Hana fist-pumped. "I'll show you guys around! It's going to be awesome!"

Shego ruffled the teen's hair. "It will be... I hope."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A plane ride with Hana might be very annoying. We'll see. Shego has to survive the holidays with her family before that happens.
> 
> I'm drawing this story out over so many chapters that I'm beginning to think it might never end. =_=
> 
> Chapter title is from "Christmastime Is Here" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Yes, more Peanuts references.


	54. Communication Has Not Made Its Way

After they had said their goodbyes to the Possibles, the couple was on the road. Kim had agreed to drive for the first half of the trip and Shego the second. They were hoping to get to Go City by the afternoon.

As Kim drove, Shego called Betty and put the call on speakerphone.

"You sly dog" was the first thing Shego said when Betty picked up.

"I take it you opened the gift? And Merry Christmas to you too, you ungrateful-"

"Really? Is this how you two are if I don't intervene?" laughed Kim.

"Merry Christmas, Kim," said Betty on the other end. "And yes, how else would I get anything across to that stubborn girlfriend of yours?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," waved off Shego. "I'm more or less surprised you're giving me time off..."

"Think of it as a favour to Kim. After all, our successful partnership has given us a lot more clients, Shego."

"And how did Will take this? Did he shit his pants-"

"-Shego! Language!" shushed Kim as she turned on a blinker.

"Yeah, Shego, watch your language!" laughed Betty. "No, he didn't. He didn't seem fazed at all. He merely said it would give him more time to draft up a new budget for the next quarter."

Shego sighed. "Honestly, Betty, we should set him up on a date or something. He's such a boring guy."

"I'll leave that to you..."

"Yeah, sure, I'll set him up with some crazy chick that'll scare him off... Whatever. How is your mother?" asked Shego.

Kim smiled. The two friends, however rude they were to each other, still managed to be civil and caring on Christmas Day.

"She's been good, she's been harping on both me and Sheldon to go date or something." Betty paused. "Kim, he's my twin brother."

"Wow, you have a twin brother? I didn't know... So many twins..." murmured the redhead as she merged lanes.

"If you thought Betty was a pain in the a-" Kim gave Shego a stern look before focusing back on the road. "Uh, butt... He's much worse."

"Betty is not a pain in the butt," laughed Kim.

"But Sheldon is, Kim. I can guarantee you that my brother may just drive about anyone up a wall. Not just him, but his dog, Pepe, too," replied Betty. "Anyway, the family's good, Shego. Also... Thank you both for the gift... And the card."

"Hope you'll put it in good use, Bets. You're difficult to shop for," said Shego.

Betty snorted. "You say that every year, yet the gifts you get me are quite all right. I especially like this year's since I can clearly see you left the shopping duties to Kim."

Kim laughed. "Shego was with me the whole time. She just stood with me."

"Hey! I picked out the colour..."

"Yes, if I had let Shego give you an orange-based ink for your new fountain pen, I'm sure you'll get some calls about colour clashing on the contracts you sign."

"People have uses for orange ink," pouted Shego.

"I'm sure they do," replied Betty dryly. "Honestly, you're a top notch designer yet you wanted to buy me a fountain pen with orange ink?"

"When I sketch, I do it in orange."

"You sketch digitally and use a light box for your paper sketches," added Kim. "It's different than signing contracts on paper, Shego. One doesn't just use orange ink anywhere and everywhere..."

"Fine, fine, sure, it's not practical, but-"

"I appreciate it though, Shego," laughed Betty. "I should go. Pepe's throwing a fit of sorts... Probably didn't get a bone or something." She audibly sighed. "Have a good one and see you in a few weeks! Oh, and Shego? Behave." The woman laughed and hung up before Shego or Kim could reply.

"Well, she certainly thinks I'm the one who misbehaves," chuckled Shego. "But, Miss Possible here is-"

Kim gave Shego a look, daring her to continue.

"Ok, ok, we're equally mischievous..." Shego held up her hands in surrender as Kim grinned.

"You just drive me crazy, that's all," Kim commented as she focused on the road. "And then I do crazy things."

Shego placed a hand on Kim's hand, making sure not to startle the redhead as she drove. "Me too, but hey, that's what makes everything fun." She gave Kim a peck on the cheek.

"Tell me about your family, Shego."

"What would you like to know, apart from the fact that Horace is a jerk and Matthew is self-centred?" laughed Shego.

"Well, how about your parents?"

"Kim, are you worried they won't like you?" The redhead remained silent, so Shego continued. "Don't be. They'll love you, I'm sure. You have a very attractive personality, so just be yourself." Shego put a hand on Kim's knee as a form of reassurance. "My parents are, how do I put it... They're supportive of their kids... My dad, at one point, worked in the mayor's office, helping out with campaigns and stuff like that, but he's been teaching in more recent years. He teaches at a local community college for underprivileged youth. Subjects like economics and history."

"Is that where you got your love of history from?"

"Haha, yeah, we have a lot of history books in my dad's study."

"I bet you used to read a lot as a kid."

"I did, and then I needed glasses since I was reading in the dark and everything..."

"I don't see you wearing them much," commented Kim. "Maybe a few times when I'm over, but not all the time." She pointed to the approaching highway sign. "Going to stop for a bathroom break..."

"I told you not to drink so much coffee during breakfast... Anyway, the wonders of contact lenses," laughed Shego. "I actually wore glasses that day I asked you to go to St. Jude's."

"I remember, but I want to see you wear them more... You'll still be beautiful to me with or without glasses."

"Aw, trying to win some points over with me? Yeah, it's not like I'm blind without them - I can still see, but I have those days where my eyes are either too dry for contacts or I stayed up late working and my eyes are too tired."

"Well, the good thing is that you won't be having anymore late nights for the next few weeks."

"What do you mean?" laughed Shego. "You more than certainly have kept me up well past my bedtime."

To that, Kim blushed and cleared her throat guiltily, causing her girlfriend to laugh heartily.

"You'll see me in glasses at home, I guess. I've always worn them in the Christmas family photos... Anyway, so my dad teaches at the community college and my mom is actually a writer and editor."

"Oh? What kind of writer?"

"She sometimes does pieces for technical journals - she had studied theoretical physics in graduate school, but had always wanted to be an author. She published a few things in the past and then worked to help edit physics journals. She sort of freelances now with editing but hasn't been writing. I'm sure she'll have lots to talk to you about since she's knowledgeable about publishing and writing."

"Your parents seem to have influenced you and your siblings' career choices, whether indirectly or directly."

"Haha, yeah, I guess you can say that. The twins are studying physics, I had studied history... Matthew is actually a magazine editor in New York... It's only really Horace who's not doing anything related to our parents' fields."

"What does he do?"

"He's some sort of manager at Hench Co."

Kim almost slammed on the brakes as she steered the car off the highway ramp. The car jerked a bit and Kim quickly regained control as she slowed down at the service centre.

"Kimmie, what's wrong?" asked Shego. She noticed that the redhead looked a bit shocked, so she clutched Kim's hand when the car was at a stop.

"It's nothing," replied the redhead as she let go of Shego and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Really? It doesn't look it," said Shego. "Come on, Kimmie, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," said Kim firmly as she got out of the car.

Shego followed her out the car and caught up with the redhead as Kim headed to the bathroom. "Did I say something wrong?"

"It's nothing... Just a bit shocked that the car jerked around a bit."

"Ok... Are you hurt?"

Kim shook her head. "I just need some fresh air. Can you take over driving for the rest of the way?"

"Sure," replied Shego as Kim handed her the car keys. The redhead then quickly disappeared to the bathroom, leaving Shego to wonder what just happened.

* * *

"And you're sure he has no connection to him whatsoever?"

"Only indirectly through Hench himself, Kim. I don't think he really knows him at all. Lipsky and Hench may be business partners and all, but Horace Godeaux seems like just a regular worker bee in the company."

"Ok, thanks, Wade. Sorry for interrupting your Christmas festivities. Please give my regards to your family."

"No problem. I understand your concern, so don't worry. You know I'm always reachable."

"Thanks, Wade. Merry Christmas."

* * *

Shego watched Kim close her flip phone from the rear-view mirror.

Something's up, thought Shego. Kim was jumpy all of a sudden when I mentioned Hench Co. Should I ask her about it or stay silent?

Kim sighed. She knew her reaction to the words "Hench Co." really surprised Shego, and even herself. She nearly ran the car off the road when the words came out of Shego's mouth. Hench Co. was merely a business partner of Lipsky Industries, but anything that associated itself with Eric, directly or indirectly, always flooded with memoirs and feelings that should never resurface. The redhead knew her girlfriend would think something was up, so as she walked back to the car, she decided to be truthful and not cover anything up.

"Hey, everything ok?" asked Shego as Kim took the passenger seat.

"Can we talk?" Kim's tone was not annoyed, but seemed a bit defeated.

"Sure." Shego stuck the keys into the ignition but left them dangling there. She turned to face Kim, giving the redhead her utmost attention. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I, uh, nearly ran us off the road when I heard the words 'Hench Co.' I had quickly associated it with Eric."

"My brother working there is bothering you," stated Shego.

"A bit, but I called up Wade to ask about his, uh, involvement in the company."

"I see... To be honest, I don't know what he does there. All I know is that he loves his job there."

"That's what Wade told me too."

"So he's not high up on the chain with enough power to hurt you or The Middleton Daily?" asked Shego nonchalantly.

"No, at least that's what Wade thinks."

"I see..." Shego bit her lip as she furrowed her brow. "Kim, let me be straight with you. The fact that you called up Wade to ask him about my brother, even if it is Horace, doesn't sit well with me. If you wanted to know, you should've just asked. I spent the whole time here just wondering whether I did something to upset you... But it turns out you have your own little private investigator doing the _digging_ for you."

"Shego, it's not like that-"

"You didn't _trust_ my word then. I admit, I don't know much about my brother's job, but all you could've done was ask me and then call Wade," said Shego tersely.

Kim sighed in annoyance and chose her words carefully. "It's not that I don't trust you.. I just reacted instinctively."

"And asking me further wasn't instinctive? You had to call Wade when _I_ wasn't looking for more information? Does he have information on my whole family at an arm's reach?" Shego raised her voice. "Did you make him run a background check on me or something?"

"Shego, listen to yourself! I made you a promise that I'd trust you no matter what. No matter what kind of baggage we had when we first met. You've helped me alleviate most of it. It was just unexpected to me when you said your brother works for Hench Co. I understand why you're upset and I'm sorry I called Wade, but in either case, you'd probably..." Kim faltered and then whispered. "You'd probably still be mad at me anyway. Like you are right now."

Shego sighed and placed her head on the steering wheel. She stared at her knees; she really did not want to fight about this here and now. Reluctantly, after a minute of silence, she said, "It's an invasion of privacy, Kim. I thought you'd at least respect that. You wanted to know about my family and I told you. You could've just asked me more questions..." In a pained voice, she added, "I'm hurt that you didn't."

"I just freak out when I hear about associations with Lipsky Industries and Eric, that's all."

"Why are you scared?"

"I'm not scared of them. I'm scared of-"

"-me hurting you."

Shego couldn't see since she was mostly staring at her knees, but she knew Kim nodded. When she looked up, she saw that tears were forming in the corners of the redhead's eyes. Taking a tissue, Shego carefully dabbed them away and placed a hand on Kim's cheek.

"You know, Kim, sometimes you make it hard for me to stay mad at you... I'm sorry I blew up on you like that... I know you were trying to explain but... It just makes me feel uncomfortable knowing that Wade can access so much information at his fingertips."

Kim nodded. "Sorry... for this mess. I don't like it when we fight."

"It's fine... We'll get through it" was Shego's answer before she shrunk back into the driver's seat and pulled the car out of the parking lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That awkward moment when you realised you gave Shego glasses to wear in the first few chapters of the story and forgot about them. Well, a bespectacled Shego is back. Or will be back.
> 
> ...This is what happens when you write so many chapters and forget things. Not to mention I wrote most of these chapters almost two months ago. :S
> 
> Drama unfolds. Will they actually get through it?
> 
> Chapter title is from "The Getting Over It Part" by Blue October.


	55. We Fight Together, Not Each Other

The two women sat in silence as they made their way to Go City. Shego was lost in her own thoughts as Kim was wondering about how to mend the situation. Shego had apologized to the redhead, but Kim couldn't help but feel that her girlfriend was just masking her true feelings.

I screwed up this time, Kim thought. And for once, I don't know what to do. I did violate her trust by calling up Wade...

Both were interrupted when Shego's cell phone started ringing. Before Kim could help answer, Shego snatched it from the dashboard and put the phone to her ear.

"Hi, Mom... What? Oh, yeah, we're still on the way... Huh? Ok, I'll put you on speaker." Shego hit the button reluctantly and gave the phone to Kim.

"Hi Kim!"

"Hi Mrs. Godeaux," said Kim hesitantly. She really wasn't sure what to do or say since Shego was still mad at her, but she still want to make a somewhat good impression.

"Please call me Marion," scoffed Shego's mother. "It makes me sound like a grandmother if you call me 'Mrs. Godeaux.' Although, grandchildren would be nice-"

"Mom!" exasperated Shego.

Kim watched her girlfriend grip the steering wheel in annoyance, so she refrained from chuckling. "Ok, Marion. It's nice to finally, uh, talk to you."

"Yes, yes, we'll meet in... how much more time, dear?"

"About an hour and a half," replied Shego flatly.

"My, my, what is with your tone, Sheridan? You should be glad to be coming home for the holidays. Your father misses you terribly, you know that."

"I know. It's the brothers I don't miss."

"Now, now, whether you like it or not-"

"-I know, Mom, they're still my brothers." Shego turned to look at Kim and her gaze softened. "They'd better not give Kimmie here hell or I'm driving us back to Middleton."

Kim smiled. Maybe Shego wasn't that mad at her... maybe.

"So, Kim, are there any dietary restrictions I should know of before you and Sheridan arrive?" asked Marion, oblivious to the dissipating tension between the two travelling women.

"No, I don't have any food allergies, so I'm good. I eat just about everything," replied the redhead.

"Except your own cooking," teased Shego.

Kim sighed. "Except my own cooking."

Marion chuckled. "All right, I'll be putting some final touches on dinner then. Have the two of you had lunch?"

Kim looked at Shego expectantly and they both smiled. Because they were "fighting" in the service centre parking lot, they had both forgot to get food: Shego, being concerned, had returned back to the car and waited for Kim, and Kim was simply just lost in her thoughts.

"No, not yet," said Kim. "We'll probably stop by a service station before we get to Go City if we're really hungry."

"In either case, make sure you have enough room for dinner. We'll be having quite a feast," replied Marion.

"Will do, Mom. See you in a bit!" said Shego.

"See you soon! Drive safe!" said Marion before hanging up.

It was silent for a few minutes before Kim quietly asked, "Are you still mad at me?"

"A bit... but not as much as before," replied Shego coolly.

"Ok." Kim turned her head and stared out the passenger window.

"I'm sorry," Shego finally said.

"For what? You had every right to be angry," murmured as Kim continued staring out the window.

"For being a jerk, that's what." Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, she used the other to gently pat Kim's knee. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"It wasn't my intention to make you feel like I didn't trust you, Shego." Kim placed her hand over her girlfriend's and turned to look at the older woman. "I just instinctively reacted that way."

"Do you always do this when someone mentions any sort of association to..." Shego paused, unsure whether saying Eric's name would make Kim retreat further in her shell. Instead, she opted for the company name. "...Lipsky Industries?"

Kim noted Shego's hesitation and smiled that her girlfriend was being considerate about her feelings. "For the past little while, yes. I'd call up Wade and he'd run a check to reassure me that everything is what it seems... Or not. There were some instances where a sponsor would try to approach the paper and they'd have direct ties to Lipsky Industries... Trying to undermine the paper once they have access or a sufficient amount of trust across the board members. Bonnie and I aren't stupid, but the board is mostly concerned with the financial aspect of things... We've disagreed in their favour a few times, which is probably why they want to replace me with Bonnie - in all honesty, she's perfectly capable to do my job but she might not be so resolute when the board tries to trick her into carrying out a decision that works in their favour."

"Why not fire the board in this case?"

"Between you and me, I wouldn't mind that, but then the paper wouldn't get as much funding, nor would it then be distributed across Middleton. Some of the members are fairly influential people and I know they spread slander about me if I'm not complying to their requests. Because of Ron's will, I still control about sixty percent of the paper and can override board decisions when I see fit... It's just complicated when they think a new sponsor would be good for the paper, but turns out to be someone from Lipsky Industries."

"You said Bonnie's married to the Seniors? Why don't they step in and help you out with the board?"

"Again, it's complicated since Se?or Senior Senior and Junior have ties to these influential people too. They dealt with a bit of crap from them too since Bonnie works with me. I'm glad Bonnie didn't just up and leave when she could - right after she got married - I can honestly say she's a true friend, even if she doesn't show it."

"I see... I didn't realise everything was so complicated." Shego intertwined her fingers with Kim as she held her hand and gave the redhead a squeeze.

"I didn't want it to be. I just wish for life to be simple again... Just to be content, be with someone I, uh... Love," Kim paused to look Shego in the eye. "...and just create some more happy memories... And not deal with all this drama."

Shego nearly steered the car into the adjacent lane, earning her a honk from the neighbouring driver, when Kim said the L word. She smiled at the thought and brought Kim's hand to her lips before gently kissing it. "I'm sure everything'll be fine. Just forget about all this drama during your vacation. Again, I'm sorry for reacting that way."

"My behaviour and actions warranted an explanation, so I understand why you reacted that way."

Shego gently let go of Kim's hand - steering with one hand was difficult - and said, "If you ever need anything from me, just ask. I'll even beat my ass of a brother for you to figure out his ties to the company."

Kim laughed. "You don't have to be that extreme."

"I would, to give you peace of mind."

"Thanks, Shego." Kim carefully unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned in close to give Shego a kiss on the cheek.

"Princess, careful now, you don't want me to run us off the road because you want to make out with me while I'm driving," teased Shego.

Kim chuckled and gently punched Shego's right arm. "You wish." She leaned back in her seat and buckled her seatbelt.

Shego grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tension dissipates and Shego wishes for a make-out session in the car. Hmm.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Anything Could Happen" by Ellie Goulding.


	56. My Life's Changed in Every Possible Way

After making one more rest stop, Kim and Shego had finally arrived in Go City. As Shego drove them to her parents' house, Kim looked out her window in awe.

"It's not like what you said... Seems like everyone is in the festive spirit. Look at all the decorations on these houses!"

"Yeah, that's the neighbourhood for you, but my parents' house isn't as- What the hell?!"

Kim looked in front and noticed that the house in view was decked out from top to bottom with Christmas lights and decorations.

"Must've been the Wegos. Only they get really excited about Christmas..." Shego parked on the curb and turned to look at Kim. "Ready?"

Kim nodded and leaned in to kiss Shego. They were only in lip lock for maybe five seconds before a snow ball landed on the driver side window. Cursing under her breath, Shego stepped out of the car and shouted, "Walter! Wallace! Cut it out!"

"Why don't you-"

"-get a room!" taunted the twins. Shego couldn't see them but knew they were using the snow around them to hide.

"When I get my hands on both of you, you're both dead meat," muttered Shego.

Smack. Right in the face.

Shego growled and wiped the snow from her face. Identical laughter could be heard as the woman picked up snow. Before she knew it, someone had pelted snow to her right. She looked and saw that Kim had thrown a snowball at a downed Wallace who was ten feet from her.

"You mess with your sister, you mess with me too!" laughed Kim.

A snowball flew at Kim and the redhead managed to dodge it with a back flip. Shego pelted snow in that direction, hoping that it would hit Walter. The brother came out of his hiding place, several feet from the porch, brushing snow out of his hair.

"Serves you right for chucking snow at my car!" laughed Shego. Kim had helped Wallace up and helped him brush snow off his jacket.

"What's going on out here?!" bellowed a voice. A muscular man had stepped outside and was now peering at the three siblings and Kim.

"Nothin', bro," replied Wallace. "Just having some fun with sis and Kim."

"I see." He stepped out onto the driveway and Kim managed to get a good look at this new sibling. She wasn't sure who it was, but judging from his demeanour, she assumed this was Horace. Dressed in a dark blue sweater and thick black pants, the man walked towards the group. He took one look at Kim and directed his attention back to his sister.

"Mother said you'd be arriving this afternoon. I see you've brought a friend."

Before Shego could roll her eyes at him, the twins interrupted them.

"She's not just a friend-"

"-she's Shego's girlfriend!"

This made Kim chuckle but the eldest Godeaux sibling appeared displeased. "I see." He turned to face Kim now and offered his hand. "Horace Godeaux."

Kim shook his hand - a very firm grip, no less - and responded neutrally. "Kim Possible."

For a split second, the redhead thought the man's eyes narrowed but then he focused his attention back to his sister. "You've thrown our plans into disarray this year by coming back home this late."

Shego scoffed. "Whatever, Hego. Mom and Dad don't seem to have cared, so what's the point of harping on me now? I'm here and that's all."

Horace frowned. "Our Christmases are always planned meticulously to the very last detail. We've yet to take a family photo and Mother has forbidden us to open the presents until you and Miss Possible show up. The only good thing that happened without you is that we watched Snowman Hank last night."

Shego rolled her eyes. "Ask Mom if you can open them now for all I care."

The brother huffed and went back inside as Kim and the twins stifled their laughter.

"Believe me, he'll be more of an ass later tonight," mumbled Shego as she popped open the car trunk to retrieve presents for the family. "And I don't know how the hell you convinced me to get Hego a present."

"He's still family," commented Kim. "Wow, he's so much more stuck up than I thought he'd be."

"Wait until-"

"-he starts his 'Shego, you should be with a man' speech!" commented the twins.

"I'd rather you tune him out on that one," commented Shego as she gave Kim a pile of presents to carry. "He'll probably have the guts to talk to me about this in front of you during dinner," she said apologetically.

"Ok..." said Kim hesitantly before they went inside the house.

* * *

Kim took a look around. The interior of the house was simple and decorated with tinsel and family Christmas photographs. She paused to take a look at one where Shego appeared to be in her early teens and the twins were still in diapers. The young version of Shego was very much like she was now: slightly pale with dark long hair that brought out the green in her eyes.

"That was taken shortly after Sheridan started high school," came a warm voice from the hallway. Kim turned to look and saw a woman who looked like a carbon copy of Shego smiling at her. With exception to the greying hair, Marion Godeaux and Shego could pass as sisters. The woman came closer and offered her hand to Kim. "Marion."

Gently placing the presents on the floor, the redhead shook the woman's hand. "Kim."

"It's so good to finally meet you," said Marion.

"Kimmie? Where'd you go-Oh. Hi Mom." Shego had shuffled her way out into the hallway. "Thought you needed a hand with the presents," she pointed at Kim's feet. The redhead nodded and helped her girlfriend take them into the living room. Marion followed them and took a seat on the couch, watching the interactions between the two women. The twins had wandered off somewhere and Horace was nowhere to be found.

"So I understand you'll be going to Paris shortly after the New Year?" asked Marion as she watched her daughter take the utmost care in placing the presents under the tree.

"Does Betty tell you everything, Mom? Honestly, is there some hotline between the two of you to gossip about my life?" asked Shego jokingly.

Marion laughed. "I had telephoned the Directors shortly after I called you to wish them a Merry Christmas. I know not of this hotline that you speak of."

"Right... And you happened to find out I'm going to Paris with Kim..."

"It'll be a well-deserved vacation, don't you think?" Marion winked at Kim who nodded in agreement. "Besides, I had merely asked Elizabeth whether or not you were excelling at your job. I don't gossip."

"With you, you do... I should just not tell Bets anything."

"But, from my understanding, it was Kim who surprised you, so you should ask Kim not to tell Elizabeth anything."

Kim laughed as Shego shook her head. "If I didn't talk to Betty, I don't think she would've let Shego go on vacation."

"I think it's the other way around, Kim. Sheridan here is too stubborn to take a break when she should."

"Mom... Can we stop talking about me?" Shego sat on the couch and patted the spot next to her, prompting Kim to sit with her. Marion was seated in the couch adjacent to them and looked at them warmly.

"So, Kim, how is work for you? I understand you, too, deserve this break."

Kim fiddled with her hands a bit before Shego put a hand on top of them, calming the redhead. Marion took note of the action and had the faintest smile on her lips. "It's... hard work running a newspaper. Even more busy when deadlines for holiday issues need to be met."

"So you must've been quite busy leading up to the holidays then. It must be nice to take some time off after a stressful year."

Uncertain as to what Marion was referring to as stressful, Kim chose to answer carefully. "I wouldn't say it's stressful... Just busy."

"Well, I'm glad both of you are taking some time off together. Think of it as a well-deserved break that you've earned after two years' worth of work." Marion had looked at her daughter expectantly and noticed that Shego remained impassive. "Let me go fetch your father. He's been dying to meet Kim here." Marion got up to leave as Shego lightly patted Kim's hand.

When certain Marion was out of earshot, Kim asked, "What did she mean, two years?"

"Two years since I moved to Middleton... And two years since I last took a holiday or vacation of sorts."

"Oh."

"What did you think she mean?"

"Two years since all my drama somewhat subsided..."

"Oh... I actually don't know if my parents or my other siblings know about that. The twins know because they're also in Middleton..."

"I just thought it odd how your mother phrased it, that's all."

Shego shrugged. "Sometimes mothers know more than they let on."

"That's what makes them scary."

"My mom isn't scary, Kim."

"I know, but I'm just saying that as a general case..."

They heard footsteps come down the stairs and remained silent until a tall, bespectacled middle-aged man entered the room with Marion. Like his wife, his red hair was showing signs of grey but he had a boyish look on his face that was similar to the twins.

"Daddy." Shego got up to greet her father with a hug that was promptly returned.

"So, this is Kim, eh?" Shego blushed a little as her father ruffled her hair. He offered his hand to Kim, who now stood to properly greet him. "Joseph Godeaux, but you can call me Joe if you'd like." He flashed a smile before sitting down with his wife. "Sorry, I was busy upstairs marking my students' exams. Deadline is looming for submitting grades."

"On Christmas Day?" asked Shego.

"Day after Boxing Day, but I'd like to spend as much time as possible with family." Again, he gave Kim a warm smile when he said the word 'family.' "Kim, I understand you'll be spending the week with us?"

"Yes, I had made arrangements with Shego earlier."

"And you'll be going to Paris shortly after?"

Kim nodded.

Joe put an arm around his wife. "Oh, to be young again and to travel the world..."

Marion chuckled and Shego shook her head. "You can still travel, Dad. And you're both not that old."

"The thing is, Sheridan, you should take advantage of your youth as much as you can," said her father. "Live your life with no regrets and enjoy it to the fullest with that special someone." He winked at Kim, who blushed, causing him to laugh.

Marion patted her husband on the knee. "Joe, you're embarrassing them."

"And embarrassed they should be, because it's our job to embarrass them as parents." He leaned back on the couch, taking up a more relaxed position. "So, Kim, what do you do? How did you manage to tame our rambunctious daughter?"

Kim smiled. "Shego's not rambunctious at all... She was kind of like a shy kitten at first-"

"-Really, Kim? A kitten?" groaned Shego.

"What, you were pretty shy when we first met!"

"And how did you meet?" interjected Joe. He was smiling now, enjoying the little banter between the two women.

"Uh, at a café in Middleton," said Kim. She didn't want to give the Godeaux parents the entire story and decided that a watered-down version of her first meeting with Shego would suffice. "Shego was really shy. It was cute."

To that, the pale woman rolled her eyes. "I mean, come on, I was star-struck by your beauty."

"Ew! That sounds-"

"-Gross!"

The twins had entered the living room after overhearing their sister's conversation with their parents. They had changed out of their outerwear and were wearing matching T-shirts and shorts.

Shego huffed and mumbled something about parents asking her embarrassing things as Marion and Joe smiled. As the only Godeaux daughter, they always wanted her to be happy and had noted how heartfelt her confession was about her first encounter with Kim.

"Say, where's Matthew?" asked Kim. "I had met Horace earlier but I have yet to see Matthew around."

"Oh, he sadly has a deadline today. Such is the life of publishing for us... Don't worry, he'll show up for dinner. He's just holed up in his room working," said Marion. "Although, I suppose I should fetch him."

"It's ok, Mom, Kim needs to put her stuff in my room... We'll walk by Matthew's room anyway, so we'll stop by for introductions," said Shego. "Come on, Kimmie, let's just get you settled and then you can meet my crazy brother." She took Kim by the hand and led them out the living room.

When they left, Marion and Joe smiled and then told the twins to sit down. "Tell us what you know about Shego and Kim," they said.

The Wegos merely grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Family gossip! So much grinning with the Godeaux siblings (re: how Chapter 55 ended).
> 
> Sorry, I forgot to post an update last week (er, and the week before). Been caught up in a bunch of things. Hope everyone had a good summer now that September is finally here!.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Dreams" by The Cranberries. I had put on the track while editing and figured it seemed like an appropriate song to describe Kim and Shego, despite it having little relevance to the context of this chapter... Ah well, there's also a subtle pun in the title - maybe.


	57. Oh No, I Think I'm Falling

Shego helped Kim with their bags as they made their way up the stairs.

"Wow, your house is pretty big."

"With five kids, I guess it has to be... My room's at the end of hall, door on your right."

As they walked by the rooms, Kim noticed that every door had a sign decorated by each of the siblings. Shego's merely had a black and white sign with her name and a small note that said to "get out unless I want you in here."

Much to her surprise, Shego's room was like her apartment. There were no remnants of her teenage years in the room, not even a poster or two of adolescent idols or favourite movies. Kim did notice, however, a bookshelf filled with books. Gently laying her bag on the foot of the bed, she took a good look at the shelf.

"You sure have a lot of books," Kim murmured as Shego began unpacking her things and putting clothes in the closet.

"It's sorted chronologically by publication year."

"That's a strange way to sort them. Why not by author?" Kim gently pulled out a book titled 'The Euclid Way' and flipped through it. She noticed that Shego had made notes in the margins, asking questions about abstract notions of geometry.

"That makes things too easy. I like challenges, but I've already got the order for all of these books memorised."

"Oh? What year was this published?" As Shego turned to look, Kim held up the book.

"1973, Mathematical Society, Torino."

Kim flipped to the front and her eyes widened. "Wow, spot on."

"I had a lot of free time in high school."

"You were reading these in high school?!"

"Like I said, I had a lot free time... Ok, that's all of my clothes. Do you want to put yours in the closet too? There's a lot of space since I only really visit home maybe once or twice a year."

"Uh, sure." Kim placed the book back on the shelf and grabbed her bag. After she was done, she turned to see Shego lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Joining her girlfriend on the bed, Kim asked, "A penny for your thoughts?"

"A kiss would be better," grinned Shego as Kim squirmed closer and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Just wondering about high school, college, and now since you brought it up."

"Time flying by too quickly?"

"Yeah, it's all a blur to me. Makes me feel kind of old to be reminiscing about things."

"You're not old, Shego."

"I feel like it."

"What's wrong?" Kim propped up an elbow and laid on her side, watching her girlfriend answer her question.

"It sort of makes me feel like I wasted so much time in the past. I wish I had met you sooner, that's all."

"It's not wasted time to go through all these trials and tribulations... They've defined and shaped the persons we've become and there's no escaping that... We just have to make the most out of this." Kim brushed a hair from Shego's cheek, causing Shego to turn her face into Kim's palm.

"Heh, you always know what to say. You're very wise, Miss Possible, did you know that?"

Kim smiled as Shego kissed the palm of her hand.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. A tall and lanky man with glasses was looking at them.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something," he said.

"Come in, Matt," said Shego as she sat up.

As Matt entered the room, Kim noticed that his shoulder-length hair had a purple tint to it.

"Matthew Godeaux, but everyone calls me Matt or Mego," he said as he shook Kim's hand.

"Kim Possible."

" _The_ Kim Possible of Middleton Daily fame?" asked a surprised Matt.

"Uh, yes...?"

"You have some interesting writers on your team," Matt replied. "I'm well aware of the drama plagued by the paper, but it's your writers I'm more interested in. Any of them want to do some freelance work for the magazine I'm editing for?"

Kim laughed. "Are you normally all-business, Matt?"

"I take advantage of the opportunities that come my way. Just let me know, I'm sure my sister has my contact information if you'd like to get your writers in touch with me."

Shego frowned. "Matt, just go back and finish your work or something. Don't take advantage of Kim right here and right now."

Matt shrugged. "One has to be ruthless to get what he wants."

"And I want you out of my room. Now."

"Merry Christmas to you too, sis. Hego's got a whole speech for you later tonight. See ya at dinner, Kim." Matt waved and closed the door on his way out.

"He's not that self-centred," said Kim.

"Just wait and see. He has a lot of nerve asking you flat out for your writers..."

"It's not the first time this has happened, I didn't mind much."

"Whatever. Brothers are annoying." Shego lied back down on the bed and Kim followed suit.

Finding her girlfriend's hand, the redhead entwined their fingers and softly said, "No matter how crazy you think your family is, they're pretty unique in their own ways. Mine included."

"I just hope they won't drive you up a wall by the time the week is over," Shego stated bluntly.

"Well, you can be my buffer," said Kim as she brought Shego's hand to her lips.

"And you, mine."

Another knock on the door brought the two women out of their thoughts.

"Girls? It's me," came Marion's voice behind the door.

"Come in, Mom." Shego remained lying down as Kim awkwardly sat up when Marion entered.

"I think Matt won't be around until dinner time," said Marion as she took a seat in Shego's office chair.

"He came in a few minutes ago to say hi," replied Shego. "He has a lot of nerve, asking about whether Kim's journalists can work for him."

"He's just... dedicated to his career," said Marion.

"And only himself," muttered Shego.

"Now, now, Sheridan, I won't have any of this talk today. It's a family day and we'll leave it to that." Marion looked to Kim. "Isn't that right, Kim?"

Kim merely nodded.

"Come on, Sheridan, don't be so grumpy. It's Christmas!" cajoled her mother. "Cheer up and don't let your brothers get to you."

Shego sat up. "All right, all right. If Horace does something stupid that'll upset me during dinner, I can't say I told you so..."

"I'll make sure that he won't, dear. Come on, let's go downstairs, your father wants to talk to you. Kim, would you like to help me in the kitchen? There are some desserts that need decorating."

Kim laughed sheepishly. "I'm not very good in the kitchen..."

"Don't worry, it's really simple stuff," said Marion.

"Ok."

* * *

"Sheridan! Come in, come in." Joe beckoned his daughter into his study. "How have you been? You don't call home as much as you did before. Kim's been keeping you busy?"

Shego blushed a little and shook her head. "Work's been busy, that's all."

"I understand you've also been working with Kim for a while too, no?"

"Um, yeah. Betty dealt with most of that. Work is just work."

"And...?"

"And, what?" asked Shego, confused by her father's intent of asking her these questions.

"Come now, Sheridan. You expect me to believe that everything in your life is the same as before, except instead of-"

"Please don't say her name, Dad."

"Well, you and Kim are together now. Are you happier?" Joe put his hands together and stared intently at his daughter.

"I am... A lot happier than I was before."

"Good, good." Joe took off his glasses and ran a hand through his greying hair. "I'm not getting any younger, Sheridan, but at most, I'd like to see all of my children happy before I die."

"Dad! Don't talk like that. You're being such a drama queen."

That earned Shego a chuckle from her father.

"Your mother and I... We worried about you when you moved to Middleton. I know it's not always our business to pry, but when you were left high and dry, we weren't sure whether our little girl would be herself again."

"You make it sound like I turned into stone or something."

"You shut us out, Sherri. We couldn't reach you... And then you up and left."

Noting that her father used a nickname she hadn't heard since high school, Shego answered sternly, "I needed some time and space to myself."

"Family helps heal the wounds, Sherri. You didn't let us in-"

"-I have an idiot brother who told me I got my just desserts by going out with Morgan. Dad, it was six years of my life. _My_ life."

"We do silly things when we're in love."

Shego shook her head. "Dad, I know you liked Morgan... I did too, but it wasn't love... Not for the last few years of the relationship..."

"Then what about now? What makes Kim so different? Do you love her? Does she love you?"

Unashamedly, Shego nodded. "I do, and I know she does. She's just not like the others."

"That's all that I want to hear then. Sherri, your mother and I don't like prying but we just don't want to see you hurt. It hurt us a lot when you pushed us away."

Shego shrugged. "I'm sorry. I thought it'd be best if I got away from Go City for a bit, especially since you know how Horace was after the split. He's... incorrigible in his views. I expect him to have an all-out tirade later during dinner."

Joe sighed. "We'll try to keep it contained. You know how he is."

"Does he not realize that I'm old enough to make my own decisions? Live my own life? I'm not his baby sister anymore. We're all old enough to start our own families, but he just keeps nagging about my lifestyle choices. It's my life, not his."

Joe took one of Shego's hands. "Sherri, he's still entitled to his opinion, whether you like it or not. I know it's been a tough road for you, but just remember that the rest of your family still supports the choices you make. As for Horace, you might be right on his incorrigibility." He laughed sadly. "I really hope he won't ruin Kim's visit. It's been so long since you've been home and I don't want your brother to be the reason why your visit will be cut short."

"Me too, Dad."

* * *

"There you go! That's how you do it," said Marion as she finished piping dollops of cream onto the dessert bowls. She had made individual chocolate cakes and was showing Kim how to decorate them nicely. "Kim, have a try. Don't worry about making it look pretty, we'll be putting some frozen berries and chocolate shavings on top."

"Ok," said the redhead as she took the pipette from Marion. "Do you bake often, Marion?"

"I do, all sorts of things... You have a lot of time to kill when you don't have much to edit. Scientific conferences being periodic and all." Marion went to the stove to check on something that was simmering as Kim slowly tried to replicate the older woman's technique. "You know how it's like... you get waves of work and then there are some periods where you really need to pick up new hobbies to pass the time."

"I guess that's where working on a daily newspaper is different... Editing every day is a challenge... so is meeting deadlines for special newsprint editions. Shego told me that you studied theoretical physics in graduate school?"

"Ah, yes, those were the days. Physics and writing were my two loves back in college, well, of course, Joe was too..." Marion laughed. "I'm being silly... Anyway, I had published some conference and journal papers when I was studying, and had developed a love for the language. Writing these refereed pieces really makes one learn sophisticated language - sentence structure, diction, and even pacing. By the time I had finished graduate school, I figured it would be interesting if I helped people edit. I even did a bit of teaching when I had to juggle working with three kids, Shego being the rowdiest of them all."

"Really?"

"Even as a child, she was rather fussy. Just when you'd think she was asleep, she'd just start crying and you'd have to give her your undivided attention. Joe was much better at it than me... Horace and Matt were relatively quiet babies, but Sherri... Oh, Sherri was just a monster."

"A monster, you say?" asked an amused Shego. She had walked in on their conversation and had a smug smile on her face.

"Yes, Sherri, a monster," laughed Marion. "You really didn't like wearing any pants, if I recall. You ran around in a diaper, making your father chase you with clothes so you'd look decent."

"Mom!" The pale woman's cheeks were now pink with embarrassment. "Save the baby stories for later! Not now!"

Kim laughed. "You must've been a very cute baby."

"Oh, she was so cute. I'll show you some photos when we're done." Marion beckoned at Shego. "Come on, Sherri, help me set the table. I think Kim is almost done with dessert. I'll just go and check up on the boys."

When Marion left, Kim had a smug smile on her face.

"So, 'Sherri'?"

Shego shrugged. "Only my parents really call me that... They don't call me 'Shego'... Actually, they don't call any of us by our nicknames."

"Why is that?"

"They just prefer using the names they gave us. It's actually been a while since they've called me 'Sherri'... It's only when they want me to take their side, they used to use it to sweet-talk me."

"And now?"

"To try to keep me from leaving. They really wanted me home this year."

"Oh..." Kim put down the pipette and placed a hand on Shego's shoulder. "If you didn't want-"

Shego shook her head. "It's not this house or the family... It's just so many memories I have of being in Go City are things I don't want to remember." She gave Kim a smile. "But I've decided I'd much rather make new memories with you."

Kim gave Shego a hug and mumbled something that sounded like, "Me too."

Marion smiled. She had silently watched the exchange when she returned from checking up on her sons. As a mother, she understood her daughter's hesitation in visiting Go City for family get-togethers. Morgan had, whether Shego would admit it or not, etched herself into everything Shego saw and did in Go City. She remembered the day that Shego came home fuming with all her belongings and verbally lashed out at her brothers for the silliest of things: Horace not locking the front door and Matthew talking on the phone in the living room. By the time Marion had approached her daughter's room, Shego had thrown more clothes into another suitcase in an angry haze and was about to go before her mother intercepted her.

"Sherri, what's wrong?"

"Everything. Every single fucking thing in my life is going wrong."

Marion overlooked the swearing and gently probed her daughter. "Not everything, you still have us. Your family."

Shego sighed. "Mom, just... don't. I'm not in the mood. I need to get out of here."

"Sherri, whatever happened between you and-"

"Please," exasperated Shego. "Please don't say her name."

Marion nodded and gave Shego's hand a light squeeze. "Sherri, honey, it's not the end of the world."

"I know it isn't." Shego had let go of her mother's hand and was clenching her fists. "I just have never felt so betrayed, my trust violated to who knows fucking where and back."

Marion sat her daughter down on the edge of her bed. "Leaving here won't do anything... Running-"

"I am not running away," seethed Shego.

"Then why do you want to go?"

"I've been in Go City for my entire life. I need to get out of here... I'll stay at Betty's or something."

"Betty's all the way in Middleton, Sherri. What are you going to do in Middleton?"

"She told me she was interested in starting a business... Maybe I'll help her out."

"Sherri, think this through, ok? Stay home for tonight... I think you need to rest before you make any decisions."

"I've made up my mind, Mom. I need to get away from all of this."

"Even... your family?" Marion could not mask the hurt in her voice, but she understood that heartbreak was not something that could heal overnight.

Shego had noted the genuine hurt in her mother's voice, but she nodded anyway. She got up to go, but her mother grabbed her hand.

"Sherri, don't do anything stupid... And call us when you're in Middleton."

Shego nodded and gave her mother a hug.

By the time Joe had come home from work, Shego had arrived in Middleton. He was furious, of course, because she had left without saying goodbye, but he had asked Shego over the phone whether there was anything he could do to help. A sigh was all he got from his daughter, who then explained that Morgan had not only cheated on her, but managed to swindle her out of all their joint possessions. The apartment, the car, and possibly most of their savings had all been transferred to Morgan in the past few months without Shego's knowing. No legal action could really be taken, so Shego just told her dad not to worry. But, worry he did.

It was only until Thanksgiving of that year when Shego reluctantly came home, not wanting to be anywhere near Go City. Her brothers knew better than to aggravate her, but Horace did make remarks that earned him a punch in the face.

Very rarely did Shego lose her temper like that, but Marion understood her daughter's frustration. It was, in part, due to Horace rubbing the truth in Shego's face that Morgan wasn't right for her. Whether it was his intentions to try to convince his sister that homosexuality was wrong, or that he was merely expressing his concern, Shego had overreacted and Marion had scolded her about it.

Now, looking at her daughter and Kim, Marion realised she hadn't seen Shego as happy as she was now when she was with Morgan. Marion watched as Shego smiled at Kim's touch. Her daughter looked like she was finally at peace and that her anger subsided.

She cleared her throat just as Shego and Kim broke the embrace.

"The boys are just fiddling with things and Matt is almost done. I think we can have dinner in half an hour, if that's ok?"

Shego nodded and carried the stack of plates into the dining room.

Marion helped Kim put the desserts into the fridge and simply commented, "Thank you."

"No problem... Is there anything else you'd want me to help with?" asked the redhead.

Marion shook her head. "I think this is all. You've done a good job."

"Ok."

Shego had finished setting the table as Kim walked in, marvelling at the Godeaux's fine china. "Wow, these are great..."

"Some of them are passed down from the family... And some are the result of my mother being bored and wanting to collect china."

Kim continued looking at the cabinets when she noticed a family portrait that was on the wall.

Shego looked like she was in college since the twins were in their preteens. Horace had a serious look on his face, Matt sported a shorter haircut, and the Godeaux parents were smiling in the photo. Shego remained impassive, almost frowning.

Shego stood beside Kim. "This was taken right before I started college... And that was when Horace finally understood that I was going out with girls. Just look at his face... Ha!"

"Why were you frowning?"

Shego shrugged. "Broke up with an ex shortly before high school graduation since we were going to different colleges and things had happened between us. And then Horace gave me crap about my preferences. I'm sure that would make anyone frown, having him nag at you incessantly."

"Actually, both of you didn't want to dress up for this photo," mused Marion as she entered the room. "And, Horace was voicing his opinions an hour prior to this photo session."

"Well, we all know it was Horace's fault anyway," said Shego matter-of-factly. She turned to look at her mother, who was giving her a quizzical look. Abruptly, she said, "I'm going to just take out my contacts... I'll be down in a bit for dinner."

Kim nodded as Shego left, leaving her alone with Marion.

"Come, Kim, let's sit in the living room," gestured Marion. "And talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit, I really like Shego being a bit geeky...
> 
> Er, really sorry about the lack of updates... Looks like this Christmas arc might actually be posted in time for Christmas? I'll try to update once a month from now on. School's been keeping me busy.
> 
> Chapter title is from "Sinking Hearts" by The Organ.


	58. You're My Anchor

Kim silently followed Marion into the living room. The older woman sat down on the sofa and patted the spot next to her. The redhead took the seat and fidgeted nervously.

"Relax, Kim. I don't bite... I'd much rather we have a chat, that's all."

"A chat about... Shego?" asked Kim.

Marion nodded. "My daughter is not exactly the princess that needs saving, but nor is she easy to put up with. For that, I commend you. I understood earlier that you might've had a disagreement with her in the car."

"How did you know?"

"I'm her mother, I just know." Marion laughed. "No, sometimes I just don't know, but I could hear it in her voice... Whatever upset her, don't take it personally, she's just quick to react, that's all."

"It was my fault though..." Kim scratched the back of her neck nervously. "You know of all the drama that surrounds me and the paper... I just freaked out when she said Horace works for Hench Co."

"A close business partner of Lipsky Industries," murmured Marion. "Don't worry, Kim, Horace works a menial job... He'd have no hidden agenda, I can assure you that."

"I know, but I called up a colleague to ask about him and his relationship to Hench Co., and... Shego thought I had violated her trust."

"Sheridan is sensitive to these things, I admit." Marion focused her attention to an object in the adjoining room. "Ever since her last relationship."

"It's just... I felt so bad afterward..."

"Don't. I know it might sound strange from me since we don't know each other well, but I can assure you that I know my daughter. No matter how she reacted, I can tell she cares about you, Kim. Don't let that doubt cloud your true feelings. Sheridan is stubborn, but she's not stupid enough to walk away from a relationship as strong as yours." Marion patted Kim on the knee.

"Thanks, Marion."

"I also understand it hasn't been easy for you too, but don't let your fears consume you."

"I try not to. The unknown is... scary, but everything's worked out so far..." Kim smiled sadly. "It's a bit ironic that two people who have hurt so much in the past are now together... We're trying not repeat our mistakes-"

Marion shook her head. "There are no mistakes when it comes to love. Some things just happen spur of the moment and don't work out, but others take a longer time to develop. Don't ever be ashamed of your feelings." Noticing the surprised look on Kim's face, Marion smiled. "I'm not blind. Joe and I can see how you both feel... Just live it out and don't think too much about it. Whatever happens, happens."

Kim nodded.

Marion pat her on the knee again. "Go get Sheridan, I'll fetch everyone for dinner."

* * *

Kim knocked on Shego's door. "It's Kim."

"The door's unlocked" was the response from the inside.

Kim gently pushed open the door and closed it when she was inside. Shego was lying on the bed again, but this time, she was wearing her glasses: thick black frames.

"You look good," said Kim as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"They're a bit of a nuisance, that's all."

"You should wear them more when we're in Middleton..."

"Really?" Shego turned her head to look at a smiling Kim who nodded. "I guess... So I guess you had a chat with my mother?"

"How'd you know?"

Shego shrugged, despite lying on the bed. "I just do, she had that look in her eye that she would ask you a bunch of questions if I left the room."

"And you let her?" mused Kim.

"Eventually, she would, whether either of us liked it or not," laughed Shego. "My mother can be rather persistent and, at times, nosy."

"She's just looking out for you, that's all."

Shego sat up. "Yeah, but she doesn't have to..." She took Kim's hand. "We're all right, right?"

Kim squeezed Shego's hand. "If you're still angry, just tell me..."

"I'm not."

"Ok."

They awkwardly sat in silence for a few minutes before Kim asked, "How come you don't have any posters in your room? Or any remnants of your teenage self on the walls?"

"Oh, like you and the O Boyz?" The redhead nodded and Shego laughed. "I wasn't really familiar with whatever was popular at the time... I was more of a," she gestured at the bookshelves and pushed her glasses up her nose, "bookworm."

"A cute bookworm," smiled Kim before she kissed Shego on the cheek.

"I didn't, and still don't, think pop culture warrants a place on my wall... It wasn't and isn't that important to me. I guess, though, it would seem appropriate to have some fancy design on my walls in the apartment, but that might limit or influence how I do my work..."

"So you'd rather keep your walls blank to help the creative process."

"Yeah, something like that. And by the time I was done with college, I had sort of moved out of here, so there wasn't really a point in decorating my room... It's just now a room I use when I'm visiting..." Shego shrugged.

"It's still a room you grew up in, so there have been lots of memories made here."

"Yeah." Shego yawned and put an arm around Kim. "I hope dinner won't be as crazy as I fear it to be." She put her forehead on the side of Kim's head and when she spoke, her breath tickled the redhead's ear. "I'd very much just like to skip dinner and cuddle."

Kim smiled as she wrapped an arm around Shego's waist. "There'll be time for that... after dinner."

* * *

"What took you so long?" huffed Horace as Kim and Shego entered the living room. He was dressed in a dark blue suit and had slicked back his hair. Matt wore a similar suit in dark purple and the twins looked even more identical in matching outfits of red. Shego had opted for a light green dress shirt, black sweater vest, and black slacks combination, while Kim wore a baby blue dress. Since photographs were to be taken, Marion had stopped by each of her children's rooms to let them know that dinner was, indeed, a formal affair.

Shego merely shrugged at her brother. The living room was semi-transformed into a scene out of a Christmas greeting card, fireplace and Christmas tree in the background. Four chairs were placed in front of a mini podium and the Godeaux siblings were standing around the podium, trying to figure out who should be where.

"I guess we're more than likely going to be together for photos," mumbled Shego. "It's more than likely that the twins will be sitting with my parents and we'll be in the back with the hooligans."

"I'm amused by how your family actually does the family photographs... We just more or less have candids, depending on who has the camera."

"Mom wants a collection of us growing up... Something that she'll look at when she's old and sipping on ginger tea," mused Shego. "You can tell who gets grumpier every year though, that's the best part."

"Except this year, you've suddenly got arm candy," smirked Walter.

"And you probably won't be grumpy since you'll be getting some after dinner," grinned Wallace.

Shego was about to smack both of her baby brothers when Marion and Joe entered the room dressed to the nines with someone who looked like a professional photographer.

"This is Uncle Roger," said Marion as she approached Kim. "He's been helping us take photographs for several years now and is actually my younger brother. He's really good at what he does."

"I'm surprised you managed to get him to come over on Christmas evening," remarked Kim.

"Oh, I just live down the street, so it's not too much of a hassle," said Roger. "Roger Devereaux, at your service."

"Kim Possible," replied the redhead as she shook his hand.

"Let's get started, shall we?" Roger asked the twins to take the seats in the middle with Joe and Marion flanking each twin, and then had Horace and Matt stand on one end of the podium and Kim and Shego on the other.

Several family group photos were taken and then it was time for individual Godeaux sibling shots. Kim was asked to join in with some of Shego's shots since Roger felt it was also appropriate to have photos of the couple too. When all the photos were done, Roger told the group that he'd be sending the photos over in a few days and left the family to enjoy their dinner.

After Horace spent a good five minutes saying grace, it was time to dig in. Kim mentally noted that the Godeaux's spread was not as extravagant as the one Hana and her mother prepared, but everything was just as delicious.

"So, Kim, what's it like to be the boss of a company?" asked Matt as he chewed on a piece of turkey. "Must be nice, not having to lift a finger."

"Matthew, do not talk with your mouth full," scolded Marion. Both parents were sitting at the heads of the table, and the Godeaux children and Kim were spread out three to each side. Matt sat facing Kim and to Shego's dismay, she was seated in front of Horace while the twins sat across from each other. Kim had to pat Shego's knee to calm her down during grace since Horace made a subtle, yet snide, remark about delivering people from evil.

Kim made sure to swallow her food before answering. "It's not as great as you'd might think. Since the paper is small, compared to something like the magazine you work for, I still do a fair share of work."

Matt chuckled. "You boss my sister around, that's good enough for me."

Shego narrowed her eyes but Kim had pat her on the knee again.

"Actually, your sister doesn't report directly to me, but the vice president," clarified Kim. "She's more of a character than me."

"Did you know, three in ten women have office relationships that don't last during their time at a company?" interjected Horace.

Shego put down her fork and stared her older brother in the eye. "What's your point?"

Horace balked under his sister's gaze. "Nothing, I am merely stating a fact..."

"A fact that no one cares about," sneered Shego. "Kim and I were dating before we worked together at Middleton Daily. And even if we were working together, I wouldn't be that's stupid to do something that would affect the business relationship."

Shego picked up her fork again and started eating as Horace merely stared at his plate, rolling food around.

Joe deliberately cleared his throat to ease the tension. "So, Walter and Wallace, how's school and research?"

"Pretty awesome! Doctor Possible gave us projects to work on and it's great-"

"-we pretty much build rockets and test them!"

"Wait. _Doctor_ Possible?" asked Horace. He had a bewildered look on his face, as if he wasn't sure about what he was hearing.

"My dad is a rocket scientist at the Middleton Space Centre... As luck would have it, Walter and Wallace work with him too," said an amused Kim. "It was surprising to Shego and me when we found out since all of us had met under different circumstances but we're still connected in some way or another."

Shego had managed to calm down and was now grinning at Horace's reaction: a look of bewilderment and defeat. It would be virtually impossible to have him try to convince his sister to cut off ties with Kim since the twins were also working with James.

"Huh, figured since you owned the paper, you'd spend less time working," mused Matt. "Ah well, my offer still stands if you're willing to part with some of your writers."

Kim shrugged. "That's completely dependent on them if they want to do work for your magazine. Maybe we can talk this over in more detail after the holidays?"

"Sure," said Matt. He gave Kim a smile and went back to eating.

Shego was somewhat thankful that Matt wasn't being too much of an ass to anyone during dinner but Horace wouldn't stop giving her disapproving looks. When plates were cleared and dessert finished, Kim had volunteered to wash the dishes with Marion. Matt had to go back to work, so he left the rest of the family in the living room, but promised to come back down to open presents.

"I hope Horace didn't upset you much this evening," said Marion as Kim handed her a plate that needed drying.

Kim shook her head. "Shego said he'd be much worse, but I didn't think so."

"It's always interesting how siblings can be so similar and different at the same time. Horace is special on his own, Shego is probably just as stubborn as he is, but he has such different opinions on everything that it makes me wonder if he's really the eldest."

"How so?" asked Kim.

"Joe and I brought up our children to believe in what they want, which is why we're open-minded about Shego's preferences - these things shouldn't matter if the kids are happy. Of course, I grew up in a Catholic household, which is why I still have the kids say grace if they want to - Horace usually takes it upon himself to do so. You can be thankful with or without a deity but it's just being thankful that matters. Anyway, the kids all grew up being so different than the others and Horace still permeates as being the one with fairly conservative views. To be honest, Joe and I are not sure how this came about, but everyone has a mutual understanding and respect for his opinions." Marion wiped another plate and rinsed the washcloth.

"It's only that he gets on Sherri's nerves when he chooses to voice his opinion on who she dates. The two wouldn't stop fighting about it in high school when all of us found out... Joe and I were supportive, of course, but Horace wouldn't let it go. I don't think he has."

Kim shrugged. "I think wherever we go, there'll still be people who are critical of the concept of two women, or men, being romantically involved. We just have to take it in stride and not let it affect who we are and who we'll become. That being said, I think Shego handled it ok tonight... I'm actually not too used to seeing her so angry."

Marion laughed sadly. "It's usually the family reunions that make her angry. I know she doesn't want to be in Go City but it's where Joe and I live. We've been meaning to come up to Middleton to visit her and the Directors, but because Joe teaches, it's harder for him to take a vacation. Maybe during the college spring break."

Kim nodded. "Can I ask you something, Marion?"

"Sure."

"I know how gossip spreads, especially through tabloids, but how did you know about me and... the drama surrounding my life?"

Marion hung up the dish towel as she spoke. "To be honest, it was more of a 'hearing it through the grapevine' process. Betty's mother and I are very good friends, and when everything had started to happen, she had told me bits and pieces of it at the time. I didn't realise it was you at first, but because the twins like to talk, it was only then when I pieced it together."

Kim nodded. Of course, everyone in Middleton knew about the scenario and that it was only natural that gossip spread through word of mouth.

Marion placed a hand on Kim's shoulder. "I hope I haven't upset you." Kim shook her head. "If you're concerned about whether the rumours have influenced how Joe and I view your relationship with Sheridan, don't be. We've finally met you and you are nothing like what the tabloids have made you out to be."

Kim nodded as Marion continued.

"I know it is a bit farfetched for me to say this, but I think you're good for Sherri. The same time last year, she was just grim and standoffish every time we asked her about her life in Middleton." Marion smiled at Kim. "So, thank you, for putting a smile on Sheridan's face again."

* * *

The family reconvened in the living room to open presents. Much to Kim's surprise, each of the Godeaux siblings, except for Horace, had given her a gift. From the twins, Shego and Kim got matching t-shirts with random physics quotations and formulae, and small space rocks encased in glass.

"Don't worry," Wallace said. "We cleared it from your dad to give them to you."

"Well, Kim has a new paperweight for all that paper on her desk," laughed Shego.

From Matt, Kim received a very nice fountain pen.

"You know, for all the contracts and stuff you need to sign. You've got to do it with a nice pen and all. Well, this is the kind of pen I'd use if I was my own boss," said Matt when Kim opened the box.

Embarrassed that he got nothing for Kim, Horace remained silent for the rest of the evening. Shego relished the moments where he looked like he was having difficulty biting his tongue and remaining quiet. He had given her another book about religion again.

Normally, Shego would've just tossed the book aside but she owed it to Kim to at least be civil with her brother. She merely accepted the gift with a mumbled thanks, much to the surprise of the entire Godeaux family. Kim merely watched on in amusement and noted that a vein might burst on Shego's head if none of them were careful about her temper. That being said, it wasn't that Shego rejected religion completely, but she rejected the constraints placed on society just because she was a woman who chose to be with another woman. Instead of throwing the book out, she made a mental note to donate it to the library.

From Marion and Joe, the couple were given a digital camera and empty photobook.

"It's for new pictures and memories," Marion said. She gave Kim a smile as the redhead took a picture of the family and passed the camera to the twins to help her get a picture of her and Shego.

* * *

"Your parents sure are thoughtful," Kim said as she took a picture of Shego's room.

Shego shrugged. "It's not like we haven't taken pictures before... Right? Oh, no, I don't really think so... Unless you count the photo booth pictures we took on our dates and the ones on our cell phones, haha."

Kim snapped a picture of Shego thinking. "Yeah, I don't think so either." She sat beside Shego on the bed and held up the camera to try to take a picture of both of them.

"Haha, Kimmie, you're going to cut one of us off like that"

"I don't think so." Kim angled her arm and pressed the button. Turning the camera over, she flipped through the pictures she took. "See, it's not that bad. I still managed to get most of you and half of me."

"I'd much rather have all of you..." Realising what she just said, the older woman sobered up. "Uh, in the photo..."

"No funny business, Shego... We're in your parents' house! I can't fathom what would happen if someone walked in or overheard or-"

Shego put a hand over Kim's mouth. "Princess, wow, you totally derailed that train of thought." She removed her hand. "Besides, my room is completely sound-proof and I have a lock on the door. We'd be fine."

"It's sound-proof?"

Shego got up and blasted the stereo. Over the music, she shouted, "Go outside and try to listen in."

Kim obliged and pressed her ear against Shego's closed door. She couldn't hear anything. She moved further down the hall and listened in on the wall for any sounds coming from Shego's room. Nothing.

She walked back into Shego's room as her girlfriend shut off the stereo.

"So?"

"Nothing."

"Told ya."

"But that still doesn't give us a reason to- hey!"

Shego pinned the redhead to the bed. "You were saying?"

"You should lock the door," laughed Kim as she kissed Shego on the cheek.

And lock the door, Shego did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I didn't realise how long this chapter would be. Decided against splitting into three other ones, so you'll have to make do.
> 
> As for those who might wonder about Marion or Joe's genealogy with respect to their surnames, I haven't a clue. Just making it up as I go. Maybe they've got some French blood in there or something...
> 
> Chapter title is from "For Dear Life" by Young Galaxy.


	59. I'll Walk the Finest Line

"Are you planning on going shopping today?" Marion asked the women as they came down for breakfast.

Shego shrugged. "I think I'll just take Kim around to sightsee... The malls are probably going to be crowded since it's Boxing Day... Unless..." She handed Kim a cup of coffee. "Do you want to go shopping?"

The redhead shook her head. "I don't really have anything to buy, I'd much rather go and explore the city."

"Ah, then it's settled... Mom, do you or Dad want to come with?"

The older Godeaux politely declined. "I think your father still has to finish grading and I have to look over some manuscripts. I'll pass for now. I'm sure the two of you will have fun regardless. Make sure to stop by the Go City monument, Sherri. That story is quite a tale."

"Sure," replied Shego as she sat down beside Kim at the dining table. "It's this huge monument erected for the city's founder, Maximillion Golding... I'll give you the history run-down later."

Marion passed them two plates of eggs, bacon, and toast before sitting down with a mug of coffee.

"Kim, is this your first time in Go City?"

The redhead shook her head. "I remember coming by here a few times before college for cheerleading competitions-"

"-Cheerleading? So that's why you were able to do a back flip when the twins were chucking snowballs at us," said Shego. "And... no wonder you're so flex-uh, ok, sorry, carry on." She stuffed a piece of bread in her mouth before she said something embarrassing.

Kim merely blinked in confusion while Marion stifled a laugh. "Uh, yeah, I was here or passed by here for cheerleading competitions, but have never had the chance to go around the city."

"So you did do a bit of travelling before, then," said Marion as she watched her daughter ungracefully shovel food in her mouth.

"Here and there, with the squad, it was mostly within the country... I only really travelled abroad after college. Sometimes for work meetings, sometimes for vacation."

"So have you been to Paris then?" asked Shego as she washed down all the food with coffee.

Kim nodded. "Albeit, it was during a bad period of time in my life..." She took a sip of coffee. She looked at Marion, "My predecessor at the paper and best friend, Ron, had just died... I was there to do paperwork after I found out he named me his successor and I had to wrap up some business-related contracts there."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a bad memory," mumbled Shego before stuffing more food into her mouth. Maybe she should've let her mother ask the questions.

Kim patted Shego's hand. "Don't worry about it. What's happened has happened... Just got to look forward to the future, right?"

Shego nodded with her mouth full. Marion chose her words carefully before asking, "You haven't been back since?"

Kim wiped her mouth with a napkin. "No. In part, part of the reason why I chose Paris as a vacation spot is to make sure Ron's sister, uh, my adoptive sister, is settled back in school before Shego and I go around the city." She looked apologetically at Shego, who looked rather comedic with cheeks full of food, and said, "I guess I should've asked if that was all right before I gave you the plane tickets..."

Shego had mumbled something, with her mouth full, that sounded like "It's ok, she's your sister... We should look out for her."

Marion merely smiled at her daughter. Shego had changed quite a bit since they last had a heart-to-heart talk. The older Godeaux could tell that Shego was rather fond of Kim, making sure to be careful of how she spoke to her girlfriend and not upset her. Maybe it was because Shego had learned from the past with her arguments with Morgan that having her way with words wasn't always the best idea. That being said, however, Morgan was simply rotten to the core. Marion had never met such a snob before in her life. Of course, the first year or so of dating was where both women tested the waters; Morgan was initially polite but had begun to show her true colours when she somehow wrangled Shego into getting an apartment together and having the younger Godeaux to cover the down payment.

Marion had known her daughter was in over her head when she found out that Shego was covering most of their expenses since the "Morgan is in medical school - it's expensive" excuse was used more than once. Maybe they had started out fine, but the last three years of the relationship had taken its toll on Shego. Marion knew, but Shego had chose to ignore her mother's comments on her health and dwindling finances. Mothers know best, right?

Yet, somehow, Marion knew Kim had no hidden agenda. Heck, she would go as far as believing that Kim had no evil bone in her body. She had, probably much to her daughter's dismay for privacy, done a thorough check on Kim when her sons told her about the redhead. Granted, a majority of the information she found out about Kim was through tabloids, but she didn't believe them. Why? Being in the publishing business much longer than her own son and Kim combined, Marion knew how people could twist words to do more harm than good.

She took the words off the page with a grain of salt and decided that, if Shego felt it was all right to love again, she'd leave it at that. From what she saw and continue to see between the two women, Marion did not feel the need to pry into their private lives unless she had to. Of course, that's where Betty came in by updating her on tidbits of Shego's life every now and then.

"So I guess you'll be sightseeing in Paris, then?" asked Marion. "Sheridan's been there twice, I think. We went when she was little... before the twins were born and another time shortly after she finished college."

Kim nodded. "There are some places I'd like to go see, but we haven't worked out any of the plans since I sort of only told Shego about Paris yesterday."

Marion looked over to her daughter who just finished wolfing down her plate. "If you want any recommended 'must-see' places, just let me know. It's been a while since I've been but I travelled there quite often in my youth."

"Sure."

Shego swallowed audibly before saying, "Mom met Dad in Paris... It's like your classic sappy love story." She laughed. "You'd think we're all French or something with our French-ish last names. Devereaux and Godeaux."

"Well, our roots do go back to France but both your father and my families travelled a lot... We've got a bit of everything mixed in our blood, I guess. Joe was on a study term abroad in Paris when I met him..." Marion stared off into space and focused on a shelf in the kitchen. "I was just travelling with a group of friends. Turns out we both studied at the same school but we had only met abroad. I think both of our families originated in France, but I know the Devereaux travelled around Europe shortly before the First World War and came here after the Second War. Your father's family had been abroad in Asia for a bit before coming here too."

"Wow," said Kim. "I think my family's been in Middleton and Florida for ages. My grandmother lives in Florida... All I know is that we were farming folk before my dad and Uncle Slim went off to study physics in school... I think my mom's family travelled a bit along the west coast, but none of them lived abroad."

"It's nice to know how we ended where we are... To be honest, I didn't really know much about my family until Mom brought it up," Shego chimed in.

"It's good to know a bit about your family history every now and then," replied Marion. She looked at the clock. "Ok, I think I should wake your brothers before the food gets cold."

"Is Dad up too?"

"Yes, he's in his study marking again. If you'll excuse me... Just leave the dishes in the sink, I'll wash them later." Marion then disappeared upstairs, leaving Shego and Kim to finish off breakfast.

"Your dad really wants to get all the marking done," said Kim after draining her cup of coffee.

"He's a family man, I guess he wants to spend more time with us instead of the papers later on in the week... Maybe we should pop by the study and just have a chat with him? I'm sure he'd appreciate it before we explore the city."

"Sure, sounds like a good idea."

They left their plates in the sink as instructed and Shego led them to the study. Knocking only once, she heard her father call them in and had to nudge Kim inside. The redhead looked around in awe at all the books on the shelves.

"Sherri! Kim! Good morning!"

"Hey Dad, we wanted to stop by and say hi before we go around the city," said Shego.

"Ah, sightseeing... That should be fun. The malls might be packed, though, so just don't get into a fight with any of the shoppers," he laughed.

"We'll try not to... I think we're going to take a look at the monuments and maybe stop by the library so I can give Martha that book Horace gave me."

"You always toss out the books he gets you."

"He gets me books he know I won't read," Shego exasperated. "I'm not religious, nor do I exactly share any of his conservative views. I'm sure Kim understands what I'm talking about because he sure as hell gave her some attitude about us being together."

Kim nervously bit her lip. She knew Shego was upset with Horace; heck, she would be too if any of her family members were like that, but she respected his opinions. No relationship could be without any obstacles and resistance, so Kim chose not to get involved. Except Shego was now dragging her into something she'd very much not be a part of.

Joe had noticed Kim's subtle gesture and decided not to pursue the topic any further. "Well, just don't roughhouse him like the last time he ticked you off. He's still your brother." His gaze softened at Kim as he explained. "The last time Horace inadvertently insulted Sheridan... well, let's just say she's got a great right hook."

"Yeah, yeah, Dad, I won't do anything unless he asks for it," muttered Shego. "C'mon, Kim, let's go before my dad grounds me or something."

"Sherri, you're thirty-three, I couldn't possibly ground you." He grinned. "Kim might be able to."

Kim blushed in response as Shego gently nudged her out of the study.

"You really punched him?" asked Kim as she took Shego's hand. Quite frankly, she never thought Shego would be one to be violent when angry, so she was a bit unnerved (and amused) that her girlfriend would hit her own brother.

"I thought I mentioned punching him before... Anyway," Shego pretended to punch the space in front of her. "Right hook in the jaw. They had to take him to the hospital because I had dislocated it for him. Serves him right to shut his trap every now and then."

Kim tugged on Shego's hand, halting them to a stop in the hallway. "Shego... violence isn't the answer, especially with family."

"Relax, Kim, don't blow this out of proportion. I've never really done anything to anyone else... Horace just gets on my nerves a lot more than the rest of my siblings." She sighed. "I'm not... abusive or violent."

"I'm not saying you are, Shego. I don't think you are. But, sometimes it's just better to keep your emotions in check."

"I try. And that incident that my dad brought up was when everything started going sour in my life. I was just in a bad place, mentally and emotionally, at a bad time."

"I understand." Kim hugged Shego and then took her by the hand again. "Come on, it's time for an adventure!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such an awkward conversation at the end, but sometimes when people irritate you, you really want to slug them in the face...
> 
> Just a comment about some reviews I got about how I have characterized Shego... It's AU for a reason. I actually dislike writing anything that sticks to how the characters are originally portrayed because I feel like my writing could never do the characterizations any justice. With AU, I feel as though I can muddle some of their personalities and behaviours for a bit. In this story, my intention has to always have Kim draw out bits and pieces of Shego's personality slowly. She's not going to ever be the same as how Shego is portrayed in the TV show, but bits and pieces might surface every now and then. I know there are some situations in the story where TV Shego might've responded differently, but it's how I characterize and personify her in my head that gets written down in the story. Suffice to say, I do apologize if Shego is not meeting up to anyone's expectations...
> 
> Also, it's been one year since I started this story. Time flies.
> 
> Chapter title is from "I'm Not Your Hero" by tegan and sara.


	60. You're My Reason to be Brave

"...And that's why the monument was created. So that we can be thankful for having a city to live in," finished Shego sarcastically.

The couple was taking a tour of Go City Hall with Shego commenting on the history behind each of the monuments in place, along with the various architectural histories about the city. Kim had noticed that Shego had remained slightly irritated throughout the whole tour but chose to remain silent on it. What she did try to do was to try to get her girlfriend on camera, but that also turned out to be a bad idea since Shego ended up frowning in a majority of the pictures.

Good job, Kim. Your girlfriend probably thinks you think she's abusive. Way to try to talk to her about anger management... You've only irritated her more, Kim thought. Maybe we should've gone shopping instead...

But they didn't. When the tour was over, Shego merely asked Kim what they should do next.

"Are you cold? Maybe we should head indoors?" asked Shego.

Kim shook her head. It wasn't cold enough to warrant them to wear mittens or toques, but it was still nippy.

"Maybe let's just take a walk in the park we passed by earlier."

"Sure." Shego took Kim's hand in hers and put it into her coat pocket.

They walked in silence before Shego audibly sighed. "Sorry, Kim. I'm still a bit agitated about my dad bringing up me slugging Horace in the jaw. It's not who I am and I hope I never will be someone like that."

"I'm sorry I brought it up after we left the study... it's not right of me to pry-"

"-You weren't prying, you were just concerned about me. I get it. It's just that bringing up that incident just brought on a whole set of emotions that I did not want to revisit. If anything, I'd much rather have slugged Morgan in the face when we broke up. But, whatever. It's only been two years. I have to let things go to move forward in life." Kim gave her hand a light squeeze. "Don't worry, Kim. I'm fine now."

"Ok... but to be honest, I did enjoy how you were sarcastic about the monuments... it made Go City's history more colourful."

Shego looked up at the sky for a moment and mumbled, "We all strive for some sort of colour in our lives every now and then."

Not letting go of their hands, Kim stood in front of Shego and looked her in the eye. "You're the colour in my life now, Shego. Don't forget that. No matter how much bad memories continue to hurt you. Know that I'm here for you."

The older woman more or less bear hugged Kim and held onto the redhead for a good five minutes before finally speaking. "You know you have a way with words, Princess... But, thank you." She let go of the now flushed redhead and gave her a kiss.

"Come on, let's go back to the car so I can grab that book to give to Martha..."

"Who's Martha?"

"You'll see..."

* * *

Wow. This is one huge library," whispered Kim as they entered Go City Hall's library. "I'm surprised it's open during the holiday season."

"Martha would never close it during a holiday season... she says it's because she knows there are people out there who still prefer the peace and quiet of a library to the bustling sounds of a shopping mall," replied Shego as she walked towards the centre desk in the building.

The elderly woman sitting at the desk smiled as she saw Shego approach. "Sheridan! What a pleasure to see you! You must thank your parents for sending me that sweater and homemade Bundt cake. It was wonderful... Your mother's recipes never cease to amaze me."

"Haha, I'll pass on your thanks to them. Did you get my card? I'm sorry I couldn't stop by yesterday since that was when I got home but hopefully I mailed it to you in time?"

"Oh, yes, yes, indeed. Such a lovely card. How is life in Middleton?" asked Martha. As Kim approached the desk, she could see that Martha was knitting prior to noticing Shego in the library.

"Well, I have a friend I'd like you to meet," said Shego as she put an arm around Kim. "This is Kim, Martha. Martha, Kim. Martha's been the city hall's librarian for many, many years."

"Oh, come now, Sheridan, you flatter me. I've only been working here for forty years."

"That's still many, many years," said Shego. Turning to Kim, Shego explained, "I've been going to this library as a child... And Martha's always been so helpful with making sure I checked out the right books for school. Oh, speaking of which, here's something to add to the catalogue." The pale woman handed Martha a book and much to her amusement, Martha simply laughed.

"Another one of those books from your brother?"

Shego nodded. "He thinks I need these... To, you know, 'fix' me."

"I'll list this as a donation then... So, Kim, have you ever been to a library like this one?"

The redhead shook her head.

"Come, I'll give you a quick tour. The design of the building is unique in itself too. How many libraries are circular in nature? Not too many." She pointed to a wall to her right. "The Dewey system starts here and ends," she pointed to her left, right above the library entrance, "right there. We stick with what works in such an interesting building - all the shelves are aligned in such a way you might think it's a maze... But, it's much easier to find things compared to the Universal Decimal System."

Kim smiled. "I'm sure it is... Did you know Sheridan sorts her books by-"

"-publication date, yes, I know," replied Martha. "Sheridan's an oddball-"

"-Hey!" laughed Shego. "You should be telling Kim my redeeming traits!"

Martha chuckled. "I'm sure you have many, Sheridan, but it's more of a hoot to poke fun at you instead."

Martha led them around the library for about half an hour before leaving the two near the stacks.

"I've got to go back to work-"

"-There's hardly anyone here, Martha. Besides, what work do you have?" asked Shego.

"Well, you just donated a book, so I have to fill out the paperwork on that. Enjoy the library, Kim. Sheridan, it was great seeing you, please give my regards to your family."

"Sure thing, Martha." Shego gave the woman a hug before she walked back to the circulation desk.

As they silently walked around the stacks, Kim asked, "I bet you used to come here all the time as a kid."

"What are we betting on?"

"Uh, nothing-"

Shego kissed Kim by surprise. "A kiss, then." She chuckled at Kim's startled expression. "I came here a lot with my dad as a kid. Martha is very much like a grandmother figure to me... The first time I checked out a book, she gave me candy and sweets and would even read to me when she was on break... When I was a bit older, I used to volunteer here on weekends..."

Kim watched Shego recall a childhood memory before she smiled bitterly. "Sadly, we drifted a bit when I was in high school... Martha had really old-fashioned views and when she found out I was dating her niece, she was anything but kind to me."

"I'm sorry..."

"It was so strange, to not be welcomed in a place I used to find solace in. I admit, she found out about us right here." Shego pointed to a space between two shelves. "She caught us kissing and it was, uh, more embarrassing than anything. She told me that she had never been so disappointed at anyone in her life... We were young and foolish, I guess... It took Martha a while to forgive the both of us... And we broke up right then and there because we didn't want to do any more damage to our relationship with her. I guess you can say it was a classic case of just simply caving into social pressures and expectations... Something I only realised long afterward."

Shego pulled out a book from the shelf as Kim was unsure what to say. The older woman flipped around the book before putting it back on the shelf.

"Sometimes, I honestly think it hurt me more that Martha was upset at me. My parents merely said they were ok with me dating girls, but you should've seen the disapproving looks Martha gave me when I came back to volunteer that summer. It was awkward... There was so much tension that I wasn't sure if things could go back the way they were... But, in due time, it did. We never discussed the subject again. Her niece actually went off to New York City to be a counsellor for parents of queer youth. I'm sure Martha's come to terms with it all, but we just don't talk about it."

Kim chose her words carefully. "I think, wherever we go, there will always be opinions, some of them more hurtful than others, but we just have to accept the fact that not everyone understands... It's... tough."

Shego smiled sadly. "That, it is..." Taking Kim's hand, she led the redhead through a meandering set of bookshelves. She stopped at a set of shelves and sat down. Kim followed suit and looked quizzically at her girlfriend.

"I used to sit here and read whatever books that I could pull off from the shelf... It just so happens that a majority of the books I found here were all history books." Shego self-consciously pushed up her glasses on her nose before Kim leaned over to brush hair from her eyes.

The redhead murmured, "Forever a bookworm."

"Hopefully a cute one," commented Shego before Kim kissed her on the nose.

They sat on the floor holding hands for a little while before Shego asked, "What do you want to do for the rest of the day now that I've given you a tour around?"

"Maybe grab a bite?" On cue, Kim's stomach growled as Shego laughed.

"Sure." As Shego got up, she saw that Martha was walking toward them. Unsure of whether the woman saw their public displays of affection, she gently tugged Kim's hand to let the redhead know Martha was headed their way. Kim let go in response as Martha approached them.

"I'm going to be closing up for lunch," said Martha. "Would you care to join me?"

Kim gave a nod when Shego looked over at her in response.

"We'd love to."

* * *

"So, tell me, Kim, how long have you and Sheridan been together?" The elderly woman looked at the redhead and laughed at Kim's surprised look. "Oh, don't be so surprised. I could see you both care for each other from a mile away."

Kim cleared her throat. She hadn't expected to field such a question when Shego told them to grab a spot at the diner while she parked the car. The trio had fetched Shego's car from the city hall parking lot after leaving the library and decided to eat at one of Martha's favourite restaurants.

"Oh, come now, Kim, don't be shy."

The redhead shrank back in her seat. "Since the end of the summer, so four months and a bit."

"Huh, it seems like much longer to me." Nodding at the waiter who came over with cups of hot tea, Martha smiled at Kim. "Relax, Kim, I don't bite. I might've in the past... Not now. Times have changed." Martha looked at the steam escaping her mug. "I realise now that I was not approachable in the past with how I dealt with Shego's 'incident'..."

"I don't think she blames you," said Kim in a small voice. It really was not her place to speak for Shego on the matter, but she did want to speak her mind. "Like you said, times have changed."

"And I realised I can't stay stuck in the past... When I found out about Shego and Marlee, my niece, I did what I had supposed every adult would do: freak out." Martha sipped on her tea before waving at Shego to come over. "When you're as prehistoric as me, Kim, it takes a very long time to slowly adjust to the times."

Shego sidled beside Kim in the booth. "So, Martha, digging up dirt on me through Kim?"

"No, I merely asked about your relationship."

Shego choked on her tea.

"Yes, I figured that would be your reaction," laughed Martha. "Although Kim's was more amusing."

Shego turned a deep shade of scarlet that Kim had never seen before. She must be really embarrassed about this conversation, the redhead thought.

Martha simply burst out laughing. "Sheridan, dear, you didn't think I would notice? You didn't think I would see the two of you holding hands in the library?"

It was Kim's turn to turn pink as Shego bit her lip. She calmly stated, "I guess you caught us red-handed, Martha."

Martha merely shrugged. "It's not a matter of catching anyone red-handed. Sheridan, dear, I was telling Kim just now that times have changed and I can't remain old-fashioned."

Shego rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't think any of this warrants a discussion, Martha. What's done in the past is done."

"I owe you an apology, Sheridan."

Kim interrupted by getting up. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom." She felt that this was a conversation meant for the two women and not herself. She figured she would give them as much time as they needed to sort things out.

* * *

"Martha, this isn't necessary... I forgave you a long time ago." Shego leaned back in her chair.

"I wasn't upset with you... It just caught me by surprise that you and Marlee were seeing each other. And given how old-fashioned things are with someone as old as me, it does take time to, uh, adjust."

"You're entitled to your own opinion, Martha. I accepted that a long time ago."

"But I hurt your feelings... Marlee's too."

"We were young, we were foolish. Everyone has those phases."

"But I hardly thought of it as a phase-"

Shego sighed. "Martha, I know things were tense between us for that year or two... But it made me realise how important you were to me. When my parents were busy with work and my older brothers were bullying me, you really showed me the wonders of literature and the library. I can't thank you, and my dad, enough for that. Although I've ended up in a field that is completely irrelevant, I'm grateful that my life took this path." Shego played with the fork in front of her. "Do you remember that time I asked you for career advice?"

Martha smiled. "Of course I do. I had never see you so distressed..." The elderly woman wrinkled her brow as she dug out the memory. "It was a week before I found out about you and Marlee..."

"I made a promise to myself that I would try to make you proud again since you said I was-"

"A great disappointment to me," Martha hesitantly finished. "You weren't, I took out the shock and anger out on you when I shouldn't have."

Shego continued playing with her fork. "Mom told me that you would ring her up some weekends to check up on me... I knew you weren't disappointed in me because you still cared."

"I still do, Sheridan."

"I know..."

Shego noticed Kim was hovering near the diner's bathroom door. The redhead was watching the exchange from afar and had a smile on her face. Shego smiled back before realising that Martha was studying her face.

"You really care about her, don't you?" asked the elderly woman.

Shego nodded in response. "Martha, Marlee and I were... I don't want to say foolish, but maybe we were a bit reckless, in high school... We were on a path of self-discovery at that age. I'm even inclined to say I'm still on that path because Kim is making me realise things about myself I never noticed."

"At the time, I had thought it was just a phase for you and Marlee... But it never was. I was wrong to think that, I'm sorry. Several years too late for this..."

Shego took Martha's hand. "It's ok, Martha. I forgive you. I've always known you cared."

Martha dabbed her eyes with a napkin and nodded at Kim to come back to the table.

"So, ladies, what'll you have?" asked the waiter as Kim sat down.

"Oh, the usual, Paul," said Martha as she handed him the menu.

"Chicken club for me," said the redhead.

"I'll have the house special," said Shego.

When the waiter left, Shego asked, "So how are your grandchildren, Martha? They're all grown up now, right?"

The woman laughed. "If you count being ten and seven years old as grown up, then sure. They're a handful, I don't remember you being mischievous as they are now."

Kim smiled. "Sheridan was mischievous?"

"Very. Despite being quite the bookworm, she would sometimes play hide and seek in the stacks and have me find her when her father came to pick her up."

"You're forgetting that time I took a bunch of books and made a fort," laughed Shego. Turning to Kim, she said, "Martha was less than pleased with that... But I was five, so it was excusable."

"If you did that now, young lady, I'd have to revoke your library rights," mused Martha. "Sheridan was an active child, Kim. Perhaps she's mellowed out over the years, but she'll always be the little girl who gave me quite the headache... Climbing shelves to get books and playing with her imaginary historical friends, Fig Newton and Gally."

"Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei," Shego clarified for Kim. "I couldn't say their names when I was a kid, so I made up nicknames for them."

Kim laughed. "Must've been quite a sight."

"Oh, it was. Unfortunately, my grandchildren are not as, sophisticated, shall we say, as how Sheridan was as a child. They don't like to read, but like to play with toys and whatever electronic gadgets are available these days. Technology is ruining children's appreciation for classic pastimes like reading."

"I might have to disagree with you there, Martha," said Kim. "Electronic books are still popular, but I suppose every form of technology has their pros and cons. Hardcovers are bulky, e-readers are portable, but you don't get the same sort of satisfaction when you finish an e-book that is supposed to be three inches thick on paper."

Martha concurred. She proceeded to talk to the couple about declining number of visitors in the library and about how city funding has still managed to keep the library open. When all the food was done, the three women headed back to the library by car.

"Well, it was good to see you again, Sheridan," said Martha as she unlocked the library doors. "And it was a pleasure meeting you, Kim."

"Likewise. Happy holidays, Martha," said the redhead. She gave the woman a hug and headed back to the car, leaving Shego to bid Martha goodbye.

"I hope you do visit more often in the future, Sheridan. I have missed our talks..."

"Me too, Martha." Shego gave her friend a hug and whispered, "I'm sorry about everything in the past. I had no intention of hurting you."

Martha shook her head. "Dear child, it's never your fault for liking someone. Love has no boundaries."

Shego smiled. "Take care, Martha. I'll stop by again before I leave Go City. You should come over for dinner - Mom and Dad would love it if you do."

"I'll give your mother a call. It's been a while since I've seen your brothers."

"Ok."

* * *

"What do you want to do now?" asked Kim.

"I'd very much like to go home and sleep," murmured Shego as she climbed into the car.

"Tired?"

"A bit."

"Ok."

Shego backed out of the lot and turned into a side street where there was not too much traffic. "Kim..."

"Hmm?"

"Sorry if Martha embarrassed you."

"Embarrass me how?" Kim patted Shego's hand as they headed back to the Godeaux house.

"There's just been a lot of discussion of our relationship at home and even with Martha-"

"It doesn't make me uncomfortable to talk about us. After all, it's always good to talk about the people who make me happy."

"I make you happy?" Shego have the redhead a quizzical look as the car stopped at a red light.

"Yes, silly, you do." Kim leaned over and kissed her girlfriend on the mouth. "Very, very happy."

Before Shego could respond, the car behind honked at them. The light had changed back to green. Her face remained flushed as she shot Kim a teasing look before accelerating the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kim has a way with words.
> 
> Back story with Martha is mostly filler, I guess.
> 
> Probably the last update for 2012 since I will be off for vacation soon. Happy holidays! See you in 2013!
> 
> Chapter title is from “Brave” by Josh Groban.


	61. Love in Your Own Way

The remainder of the week flew by quickly. Kim had become fast friends with Marion - they had spent two afternoons going over various recipes and cooking techniques as Shego spent time with her father. The Godeaux family had invited Martha over for dinner during their last night in Go City and Kim learned many new things about her girlfriend, much to Shego's embarrassment.

"When Sheridan was five, she claimed that Gally and Fig Newton were her best friends because science was cool," chuckled Martha. "She was just a child, so of course I had to play along."

"Don't forget the time she dressed up as a fig for Hallowe'en," commented Matt. "She honestly thought he looked like a fig! Ha!"

"Your costume wasn't any better," remarked an embarrassed Shego. "What kind of superhero is purple? Honestly, you thought you were going to grow up to be Grapeman!"

"Don't forget bro's outfit... Fighting valiantly for justice and world peace was none other than Hego in a weird blue leotard... Man, do you remember how many laughs we got when we went around trick-or-treating that year?" laughed Matt.

"That was Team Go in our youth," commented Horace. Much to Kim's surprise, he addressed her next. "It was a childhood dream of mine to have my siblings be in a team that fought for justice, but here we are working menial jobs to pay bills. It was fun to make believe for a while."

Kim nodded as Horace continued. It was perhaps the only time he had made an effort to talk to her during her stay.

"Anyway, 'Team Go' was what I called us as children... Of course, Walter and Wallace were too young then, but don't we have a photo album of us in superhero costumes?"

"I believe you do," answered Marion. "You all started dressing up like this when the twins were still babies." She excused herself to find said photo album while Horace continued reminiscing about the past.

"We each had a colour associated to ourselves-"

"Blue for Horace, obviously," said Matt as he ruffled his big brother's hair.

"Purple for Matt," said Horace with a look of disdain on his face. He had styled his hair nicely for the evening and now he looked dishevelled thanks to his brother.

"Green for me," said Shego as she pointed to herself. "It's been my favourite colour since I was a child."

"And somehow, because we're the only ones-"

"-apart from Dad-"

"-with red hair, it's red for us," finished Wallace.

Marion returned with photo albums. "I found them.. This was when the twins were a year old," she said as she handed Kim an album. "And this is when they were about three..." She gave the other to Martha.

Kim chuckled as she flipped through the pictures. "Horace," she asked, "Were you the one who put capes on the twins? It looks like they're dragging blankets around..."

"I did... And overestimated the lengths of the dish towels when I pinned them on their shirts."

"And this one," Martha held up the album for everyone to see. "I'm appalled, Sheridan, are you doing what I think you are?"

Kim took a good look at the picture before she burst out laughing.

"Martha, did you have to point out that picture?" Shego was slightly red from embarrassment.

"It was a picture-perfect moment."

"Picking my nose is not worthy of a photo, dad," sighed Shego. "Nor is it perfect."

"It's _perfectly_ cute," said Kim. "I mean, here you are all dressed up in a cute superhero outfit and the camera captures you at the right moment."

"You're never going to let me live this down, are you?" asked her girlfriend.

The redhead shook her head and Shego sighed.

"Don't forget that time Sheridan knocked over an entire bookshelf in the library," said Martha.

Shego merely groaned.

"What happened?" asked Kim.

"This was when Walter and Wallace were still in diapers, if memory serves me right. The children and their parents had stopped by the library for treats that year and because they were dressed up in their superhero outfits, they had also carried out some less virtuous antics," replied the elderly woman.

Shego shook her head. "It was all Matt and Horace's fault. They took my candy pail and put it high on a shelf... I was, what, maybe nine?"

"Hey! That was only because you tried to trip us as we walked into the library to say hi to Martha," snapped Matt.

Martha held up her hands to get the siblings to stop bickering. "In any case, Sheridan had climbed up the shelf and managed to knock it down... Thankfully no one was hurt and that there weren't many books on the shelf at the time - I was planning to fill it after the children had left..."

"I think I was left with a rather big bruise on my knee," remarked Shego. "And those two," she shot her older brothers a look, "blamed it all on me."

"Sherri, you should be glad we didn't severely freak out or anything at the time," laughed Marion. "I mean, your father and I were worried but, because you always roughhoused with your brothers, we knew you would be all right and come out of it with just a scratch or two."

Shego shook her head. "Why are we telling old stories about me in front of Kim?"

"Because it's fun to-"

"-embarrass you while we can," said Walter.

"You do enough of that when we're in Middleton," sighed Shego. "Now the whole family's ganging up on me."

"Of course," laughed Matt. "Embarrass you before you leave with your girlfriend here. Say, Kim, do you have any embarrassing stories to share about sis?"

The redhead shook her head. "None that I can think of at the moment."

Wallace smirked. "Maybe they're too inappropriate to be told at the dinner table."

"Wallace!" both Horace and Shego exclaimed.

The eldest sibling let his sister go first.

"You two really have got to go out more or something. Jeez."

"No inappropriate conversations will be had - we have guests here," snapped Horace. "Besides, I'm not sure whether I want to hear it. It's just so-"

"Who wants dessert?" interjected Marion as she stood up to clear the table.

"Mom, let me help." Shego shot her brothers a look that could curdle milk and followed her mom into the kitchen.

"Psst," Wallace whispered. "You can tell us, Kim. Shego's not around right now."

"Boys," said Joe sternly. "No fishing for information about your sister."

"Aw, Dad, how often do we get to poke fun at her? We all know she doesn't come home much these days."

"You can bug her about it when you're all back in Middleton," said Joe. "I'm sorry, Martha and Kim, but you know how boys will be boys."

Kim merely chuckled. "It's ok. I have brothers of my own, so I know what it's like."

* * *

"Sherri?"

"Yes, mom?"

"I'm glad everything's ok between you and Martha."

"Me too. It's like reconnecting with a long-lost friend again. She didn't have to apologise to me though... Deep down, I forgave her after my relationship with Marlee ended."

Marion put a comforting hand on Shego's shoulder. "Handling the boys ok tonight?"

"They could be worse, but I think they just don't want me to go. I admit, the week wasn't as bad as I hoped... Even Horace doesn't seem to be making jabs at me much."

"I think we all just missed having the real you around, Sherri," murmured Marion as she took out two pies from the oven.

"I guess."

"Kim's brought back a side of you we haven't seen in two years. For that, I'm eternally grateful. I don't want you to grow old and bitter, Sherri, it would do no one any good if you did."

"Mom..."

"I'm happy that you've found happiness again." Marion handed Shego a stack of plates. "I know everything your father and I have said to you might sound cliché but it's the truth. We don't want any of our children, yourself included, to miss out on greater things in life..." She headed towards the kitchen door and murmured, "Like love."

* * *

"Miss Possible, can I have a word?"

Kim looked up when Horace entered the living room after dinner. The rest of the family were still in the dining room with Martha. Shego had gone off to her room to make sure they hadn't forgotten to pack anything. Marion had pulled out a stack of photo albums for Kim to peruse during her stay and the redhead was flipping through them when Horace interrupted.

"Sure." To let the older sibling know she gave him her full attention, Kim closed the photo album and put it aside.

Horace paced around first before finally sitting down on the other end of the couch. "I... apologise if I gave you any impression that I dislike you."

"You didn't... You were, how do I put it, just a bit reserved because you didn't know who I was."

"That's one way of putting it," chuckled the blue-haired man. "Believe me, Miss Possible, you are an extraordinary woman. It's just... I never understood my sister's lifestyle preferences - I still don't. I don't understand how two women can be together in... in that way." Noticing that Kim remained impassive, he cleared his throat nervously. "However, during your stay here, I have noticed that my sister appears to be happier than she was back then."

He looked down at the floor and rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to proceed. Finally, he merely shrugged and sighed. "You have younger siblings of your own, so you should understand what kind of relief it was to see Sheridan laugh again. I may not be the most supportive sibling but I do care about all of them. I just... don't know how to show it."

Kim replied, "I know you care about them-"

"-I haven't been fair to Sheridan all these years, I suppose. I understand if you might feel any bias towards me - my constant disapproval does tend to set her off."

"You just choose to make your disapproval vocal, Horace... which, I might add, is probably not the best way to show that you care about your sister." Kim wasn't exactly sure what Horace was trying to say, but she understood that he was trying to apologize to her about his behaviour... maybe.

"What I wanted to say," Horace mumbled as he made eye contact with Kim, "was that I appreciate the things you've done to make my sister happy."

Kim nodded in response. "I'll continue to do my best to keep that smile on her face."

Horace stood up and offered his hand to Kim. Once again, the grip was firm: Horace was hoping that Kim would keep that promise.

* * *

Shego leaned on a wall in the hallway. She had overheard Horace's conversation with Kim and all she could do was smirk.

Turns out big bro's a softie, she thought. I should give him more credit for being a pain in the ass.

"Oh."

Horace had just walked out of the living room and noticed that his sister was standing outside.

"Are you all packed?" he asked. He kept his eyes peeled to the space next to Shego.

"Yeah."

"All right." Horace shifted around, shrugged and then walked back to the dining room.

Shego knocked on the wall when she entered the living room. Kim looked up at her and smiled when Shego sat beside her on the couch.

"Going through more photo albums?"

"You were such a cute kid."

"I'm not cute now?!"

"No." The redhead grinned before kissing her girlfriend on the cheek. "You're drop-dead gorgeous."

"I don't think I want to be that... Because you might drop dead!"

"Now you're just being vain," laughed Kim. "Ok, fine, you're cute and gorgeous. Better?"

"Much better," mumbled Shego before she kissed Kim on the mouth. The kiss started slow but became more passionate before Kim broke it off for air.

"Shego, we're in the living room..."

"Princess, it's not like anyone would walk in right-"

"Oh! There you two are!" said Martha as she stuck her head in from the hallway.

"I spoke too soon," mumbled Shego as Kim chuckled softly.

"Are you all ready to go?" asked Martha.

"Yup, we're good. C'mon, Kimmie, time to stop looking at embarrassing pictures of me."

"I'll ask your mom for copies."

Shego rolled her eyes as Martha laughed. Taking Kim's hand in hers, they headed out into the hallway. The rest of the Godeaux family was waiting for them.

"Do you really have to drive back to Middleton in the dark?" asked Marion. "You could always leave in the morning."

"It's ok, Mom, we have to swing by our apartments to just drop off a few things, so we might as well go now."

"All right. Just drive safe."

"We will," replied Kim. She gave Marion and Martha hugs while she shook hands with the Godeaux men. She nodded at Horace to let him know that she would keep her promise. The action was noticed by Shego as she kissed her parents goodbye.

"I'll have the Middleton Daily's reporters call you about your offer, Matt. But you probably won't hear back until late January," said Kim as she shook the purple-haired man's hand.

"No worries. Just keep my sister in check," he laughed. "Safe travels."

"You too, have a safe flight back to New York."

"I'll see you boys back in Middleton," said Shego as she ruffled the twins' hair. "Don't give Mom and Dad a hard time."

"We'll-"

"-try not to."

Martha pulled Shego aside as the rest of the family (mostly Horace, as instructed by his parents) helped Kim put their luggage in the car trunk.

"Now, Sheridan, I hope to hear from you once in a while... And not through your mother."

"Ok, I'll call you as soon as we're back from Paris."

"Take care of Kim, but most of all, yourself too."

"I will," replied Shego as she hugged her friend. "Don't overwork yourself, Martha."

"If you don't, I won't" was the older woman's response.

Shego grinned.

* * *

"I'll drive tonight," said Kim as Shego was about to approach the driver's door. "You drove most of the trip when we came over."

"Ok. Just let me know when you want me to take over."

"Sure."

* * *

Kim looked over to the passenger seat. Shego had fallen asleep shortly after they left Go City. The redhead replayed the conversation she had with Horace in her head as she drove. She had wondered whether she should tell Shego about what was said, but perhaps it was for the best that she didn't to let her girlfriend find out about Horace's true feelings on her own.

Kim braked as the brake lights of the car in front turned on. As the car slowed, she turned to look at Shego again. The woman had rolled to her side while buckled in and had a peaceful look on her face. Kim gently stroked Shego's cheek and tucked back a stray strand of hair. A small smile formed on Shego's face when Kim removed her hand to steady the steering wheel.

* * *

"Shego, Shego, wake up." Kim gently shook her girlfriend. After driving for two hours, she figured it was time for a rest stop.

"Mmm, give me five more minutes, Kimmie," groaned Shego. "I don't want to go to school."

Kim's hearty laugh was loud enough to make Shego crack open her eyes.

"Huh? Oh... It's still night time."

"Apparently you thought it was time to go to school."

Shego laughed and shrugged. "My mom would used to wake me for school... I'm not sure why I thought it was time for school... It's been more than ten years since I had to go to school... So, bathroom break?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want me to take over with driving?"

Kim shook her head. "I should be good. We've only got another hour or so until we reach Middleton."

"Ok. Are you planning to head to your apartment first?"

"It's closer to my parents', so would that be ok?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

Shego stepped out of the car and shuddered. It was just below freezing and it was starting to snow again. The light dusting of snow illuminated the three streetlights in the rest area.

"Come 'ere," the older woman said as her girlfriend exited the car.

Kim shuffled her way over and laced fingers with Shego.

"Getting a bit colder now... I wonder what the weather will be like in Paris," Shego mused as they walked towards the service centre.

"Might be just the same or colder."

"I guess we should pack a bit more warm clothes for Paris then." Shego blew out a puff of air and saw that she could see a wisp of white in the dark. "You cold, Kimmie?"

The redhead shook her head.

It took them another twenty paces to reach indoors. There was a lone person manning the information booth who nodded at them in acknowledgement as they passed by him for the bathrooms.

* * *

"Do you have to call your parents?" asked Shego as Kim exited the highway.

Kim shrugged sheepishly and said, "I told them we'd be coming over tomorrow morning last I called... I was kind of hoping we'd have a night to ourselves, instead of being surrounded by family every day."

Shego grinned. "A night to ourselves, eh? It's too bad it's almost bedtime. Or is that a good thing, hmm?" She pretended to think really hard on the matter before Kim shook her head in amusement.

"I guess it's sort of childish of me... I haven't had a holiday or break in a while that I could spend with someone I'd want to be with." She turned left onto the familiar street. "The past two years was just me going home for Christmas dinner because my parents asked and then the next day I'd be back in the office."

"I know what you mean... Just going through the motions and not really enjoying yourself." Shego patted Kim's hand on the gearshift. "It's not childish, not at all."

"Thanks, Shego," murmured Kim as she pulled the car into the apartment garage. "Come on, let's get everything inside and maybe we can do laundry or something."

Shego smirked. "Or something."

"Shego... I didn't mean _that_."

"I know, I was just teasing. Though, the last time was-"

"-We were merely conducting an experiment on the soundproof quality of your room when you had the grand idea to-"

"-There's no harm in having a little fun every now and then," laughed Shego as she helped Kim with their bags.

"I know, I know," replied Kim as she entered the apartment. Placing their luggage aside, Kim proceeded to put down their presents near the tiny tree on the coffee table. Kim had purchased it a few days before Christmas since Shego had commented that their apartments were lacking with Christmas decorations, even though they would be away from their apartments for most of the holiday season. The redhead had managed to swing by a hardware store and found two of these miniature trees.

Upon receiving one for decorating her apartment, Shego merely shrugged at her girlfriend and stated that it didn't matter to her about decorating her own apartment. The redhead had managed to give the older woman a look and, before she knew it, Shego had put the tree in her living room.

Shego watched the redhead place the (opened) presents near the tiny tree. Kim was about to unpack their luggage when she realised her girlfriend was watching her.

"What?"

"Nothing... Just watching you work and be cute at the same time."

"How was that cute?!"

"I don't know... It's past Christmas and you're still putting the presents, which have been opened by the way, under the tree."

Kim shrugged. "I usually leave them there until it's past New Year's... Unless it's food or perishables."

"I just found it cute, that's all."

"You find a lot of things I do cute... That in itself is cute," said Kim as she watched Shego's cheeks flush.

"Say, how's Bonnie holding down the fort?"

"I called her earlier during the week to let her know about Matt's offer and she said she'll talk to our writers for me."

"Ok."

"Otherwise, it's been pretty quiet. At least her husband understands. Junior knows I haven't had a vacation in years, so he was fine with not having to stay at Señor Senior Senior's island this year."

"I can't believe they have an island..."

"It's been passed down from generations."

"Still..." Shego took some clothes out of her suitcase and followed Kim to the laundry room. "Say, what would you do if you had an island?"

Kim took Shego's pile and began sorting out the whites and coloured items. "I don't know... Maybe that'd happen when I retire or something." She tossed in some fabric softener and the pile of clothes. "I'm not sure... I've been so used to working that it'd be pretty boring on an island without something to do."

"And someone to do."

Whack. Kim used a clean towel and gently hit Shego on the head.

"Ow!"

"Sheridan Godeaux! Really, is that all you think about?"

"Kimberly Ann Possible! You're stuck here in the laundry room alone with me! What else am I supposed to think about when you're clearly showcasing yourself to me in just a tank and shorts?!"

The redhead laughed. "You could say the same about yourself, Shego. You're just wearing one of _my_ oversized shirts with your soccer mom pants while _I_ help you do _your_ laundry."

"They're not soccer mom pants! They're just sweats... And you might as well since we have all of our stuff here."

"Same thing to me."

"I'm no soccer mom! I doubt I could ever be half the mom my mom is." Shego crossed her arms in amusement and playfully glared at Kim.

"Well, do you want kids in the future?" asked the redhead.

Shego stared at Kim. "Do _you_ want kids?"

"I asked you first."

"Oh, come on, Kim. Why are we having this conversation?"

"Just want to know what you think."

"Now?!"

"Why not?" Kim crossed her arms and looked at Shego apprehensively.

Shego sighed. "I'm not mom material. I mean, I like kids, don't get me wrong, but I probably can't handle them... now."

"Ok."

"What about you?"

"I would say the same, but I actually used to babysit during high school, so I know how, uh, annoying children can get."

"Ok... Gosh, Kim, this is just one really awkward conversation... We're talking about kids already and we're not even six months in."

"I... was merely wondering what you thought, that's all."

"Ok." Shego rubbed the back of her neck and wasn't sure what to do next. Kim was blocking the door, so running away from a responsibility-loaded conversation was perhaps not the best idea.

"Sorry."

"Huh?"

"For discussing something that made you uncomfortable."

"It just caught me by surprise, that's all."

"It just made everything awkward... I like the pace we're going, so..."

"Come here, you." Kim suddenly felt Shego's arms around her. "Communication is key in a relationship and, whether the subject matter was awkward or not, we were still communicating and getting things across to one another." The redhead felt Shego kiss the top of her head to let her know everything was ok.

The redhead gave into the embrace and hugged Shego back.

"Let's get to bed, hmm?"

"Sure." Kim let Shego lead her to her bedroom - it was, after all, their only night alone together after a week and she knew Shego wouldn't let it go to waste.

* * *

"Shego."

No answer.

"Shego."

Silence.

"Shego!"

The pale woman in bed groaned as she cracked open her eyes. Her entire body was sore after last night.

Man, I really got to watch what I say to Kim in bed, Shego thought. I clearly asked for it when I challenged her last night to bring her best.

"Shego, are you up yet?"

The woman in question rolled over to her side to see Kim giving her a smug look from the doorway.

"Too sore? You did ask for me to bring it. And I brought it up a notch," laughed the redhead. "Come on, I made breakfast."

" _You_ made breakfast? You had stuff in your fridge? You sure it's edible?"

"Oh, come on, Shego! You make it sound like I keep poison in my fridge or something." Kim sat on the edge of the bed and watched Shego struggle with getting up.

"How on earth did you manage to get out of bed?"

"I'm younger and more fabulous-mmmm?!"

Shego managed to sneak an arm around Kim's waist and dragged the redhead on the bed. They stared at each other intently for a moment before Shego leaned in close.

"You know, you should really watch your back when I challenge you. I'm full of surprises," Shego breathily whispered in Kim's ear. "It just sucks right now though since you're dressed."

She kissed Kim on the mouth before slowly getting out of bed to change. Kim sat on the bed dumbfounded for a minute before asking, "You're not showering?"

"Don't you want me to eat breakfast first before it gets cold?" asked Shego as scooped up her underwear from the floor and put back on Kim's oversized t-shirt.

"Ah, yes, please do."

"Then I'll shower after... Share?"

Kim nodded. She, too, was sore from last night's 'activities', but she wasn't going to let Shego be satisfied knowing that.

"C'mon, time to eat," said Shego as she tugged on Kim's hand to let the redhead know she was going to the living room.

* * *

"Impressive," said Shego as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "You've made good progress since... When was the last time you cooked something for me?"

Kim shrugged. "Was it the time I made chicken pot pies?"

"You mean that time we nearly burnt them because I was being-"

"-Yeah, and it wasn't entirely your fault."

"I guess it might've been then? But, Kim, this was really good."

"Thanks, your mom's a really good teacher... She was really patient with me when I was helping out with breakfast."

Shego nodded. "I guess it won't be super embarrassing when we have that private lesson with Chef Morimoto."

Kim pretended to pout at the remark. "When are we having that lesson?"

Shego shrugged. "I think he's still touring but I think he'll be in Paris the same time we'll be... I'll have to call my mom for his contact info if that's the case. Learning to cook fancy food in a fancy city... That should be fun."

"Ah, ok." Kim motioned to clean the table and took their plates to the kitchen sink.

Shego grabbed the sponge and started scrubbing. "What time is your family expecting us?"

"I told my mom that we'll be by for lunch, so we've got," Kim looked at the kitchen clock, "another three hours or so."

"Ok. Is there anything else you need to do, except for laundry, before we head over?"

Kim shook her head as Shego handed her the now clean plates to dry. "Just shower, that's all."

"All right. We'll take a three-hour shower then."

"Shego!"

"What? I'm trying to make good use of our time!"

"By taking a three hour shower?"

"Yes," replied the older woman as she scooped up the redhead and headed to the master bathroom.

(They ended up taking four hours and just made it to lunch. When asked about their tardiness, Shego merely responded with "Kim blew up the kitchen making breakfast, so we were having a 'scrub down' for a few hours", which earned her a thump to the back of the head when the Doctors Possible were not looking.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talking about kids?! I had to throw that in.
> 
> Also, Shego in a fig costume... It's cute. I might have to draw that, I came up with that randomly.
> 
> Horace isn't that much of an ass, is he?
> 
> Happy New Year! I am going through a bout of bronchitis (or maybe pneumonia, I don't know for certain), so I am posting this update earlier than I wanted to.
> 
> Chapter title is from "UZA" by AKB48, using lyric translations by wingom on LiveJournal.


	62. This Love is Treacherous

Knock.

"Hey, Kim."

"Hana? Come on up."

The teen made her way into Kim's loft. Shego was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Shego?"

"She went out with Mom to run errands."

"Oh, ok."

"What's up?" Kim patted to a spot next to her on the floor; she tossed aside the magazine she was skimming through before Hana interrupted her.

The teen sat down beside the redhead and shrugged. "Just been a bit bored since you and Shego were in Go City last week."

"Do you want to go to the mall?"

"Sure, if you don't mind."

"All right, cool. Let me check if Shego took my car or if Mom took hers."

"Are you guys sharing everything now?" asked Hana as she followed the redhead to the garage.

"What's that supposed to mean, Hana?" asked Kim as she turned around and gave Hana an unamused look.

"I'm just thinking you guys share a lot of things right now."

"It's really none of your business, Hana," Kim stated matter-of-factly as she realised her mom took the family car. She took her keys and motioned for the teen to get in.

"I was merely making an observation, that's all."

"One that isn't any of your concern."

"Why are getting so defensive on me all of a sudden, Kim?" asked Hana as she buckled up.

"Because, since your arrival, all you've been doing is tell me what you think I should or shouldn't do with my relationship with Shego. I thought you trusted her." Kim started the engine and put the gear in reverse. "I also thought you trusted me."

Hana shrugged. "I'm just looking out-"

Kim slammed her foot on the brakes and put the car in park. They had barely made it out of the Possibles' driveway. "Hana Stoppable. I appreciate your undying concern, but I've got it all under control. It's _my_ relationship and I'll see how things go _my_ way. No one else's. All right?"

"Jeez, take a chill pill, Kim. You don't have to be so angry."

"You're giving me a lot of reasons to be, Hana. And you're not making it easy for me to put up with your attitude towards what I share and do with Shego. For Pete's sake, Hana, I'm twenty-eight. I know right from wrong."

Hana put up her hands in surrender. "All right, all right, don't start nagging at me. Man, if this is what it's like to live with parents full-time-"

"-I dare you to finish that sentence, Hana. You will regret your choice of words and for even thinking that. Your parents raised you well. Just because I, or any of my family members - Shego included - nag at you, we're looking out for you. Do you know how difficult it is for any of us to be half the people your parents were? Don't you dare complain about how we nag at you - it's for your benefit."

Hana remained silent. She knew that she should've thought it out carefully before saying anything, but now that Kim understood her true feelings, it was just difficult to retract the thought.

Kim sighed. "Look, Hana, I don't want to fight with you about anything. We've been through this bump before when you first met Shego. I thought you two hit things off well, so why are you questioning my judgement now? I'm not a child, Hana. You need to understand that too - whatever choices _you_ make, know that no one can stop you except for yourself. We're all just here to help; don't go hating on the world because something doesn't go your way. I live my life as I please and, while I realise you're just looking out for me, only Shego and I can decide the pace of our relationship. If we share things, we share them. No big."

"But aren't you guys already living together? Isn't that kind of going too fast? You guys haven't dated long..." Hana shrugged.

"We're at a pace that's comfortable," said Kim firmly.

Honestly, where does she even come up with some of these questions? Kim thought.

"Just asking because I remember you didn't really live with-" The teen saw that the redhead gripped the steering wheel - "...with your ex until a year or two later, right?"

"I haven't moved in with Shego, we just crash each other's places." Kim added bitterly, "And those were different circumstances back then."

"All right, all right, I didn't mean for you to get so pissed at me... It was an honest question, right? I mean, sometimes one needs to lift their head from all the lovey dovey fog to see the path ahead."

"When did you get all wise all of a sudden?" laughed Kim. "I don't understand how kids your age work... You're all still immature but come up with-"

"-I pulled that one out of my ass, I'm sorry."

"Watch your language, Hana!"

"Right, right, I have to be prim and proper... Lady-like and whatnot."

Kim turned off the car engine. "Look, Hana, I know there's a bunch of things we disagree on right now, but let's just move past them, ok? I don't want us fighting over something trivial before we go to Paris."

Hana put up her hands in surrender and ran a hand through her hair. "All right, all right, I'm sorry I even asked the question... I just don't want you diving head-first into something you might not get out of if your emotions are clouding your judgment."

Kim bit back a remark that she was thinking much clearer when with Shego - she didn't want to go on a tangent later. Maybe she should toss this bone to Shego to deal with: if Hana knew Shego better, she'd understand why Kim thought the graphics designer was a good match.

"All right. How about we shake on this and not let it ruin our holiday?" suggested the redhead.

The teen nodded and shook her sister's hand.

"Middleton Mall?" asked Kim as she started the car again.

Hana nodded.

* * *

"Shego, can we talk?"

The graphic designer rolled on her side and gave her girlfriend a look. She closed the book she was reading and sat up straight on the bed.

"What's wrong, Kimmie?"

"How can you tell that there's something wrong?"

"The inflection in how you asked me - it seemed more of a command than a request, and that you seemed to be a bit agitated after you got home with Hana. What'd the squirt do to make you feel like this?" Shego tilted her head. "...again."

"You're observant, you know that?" replied Kim as she snuggled closer to Shego on the bed.

"I should be, to keep that smile on your face," murmured the older woman as she put an arm around Kim. "Come on, what's bothering you? Did Hana say something stupid again?"

"She just doesn't know when to butt out of things that aren't her business, that's all."

"She said something about 'us' again, didn't she?"

Kim buried her head in Shego's neck as she mumbled, "She said we share too many things and that we're moving at a quick pace because we always sleep over at each other's."

"Hey, that doesn't mean anything bad." Shego kissed the top of Kim's head. "No relationship is perfect, and each one moves at a pace that's comfortable for both parties. I know," Shego gently pulled Kim into an embrace, "that I'm fine with how things are going between us, so you have nothing to worry about."

Kim tightened her grip on her girlfriend. "I'm not weak, I don't need someone to tell me that what I'm doing is wrong or that I'm diving headfirst into something that might hurt me all over again."

"You're not weak, not at all." Shego gently rubbed Kim's shoulder. "I think the same can be said for me too."

"I just don't want people to think I am... It hurt me a lot that Hana thinks it's part of her duty as a sibling to look after me. I'm not hopeless... I don't always make bad decisions."

"If I'm the best worst decision you've ever made, well, I must say, I am the best," chuckled Shego.

Kim shook her head. "You're the _best_ best decision I've made."

"Then if you feel that way, ignore what Hana says about us. I mean, with our ages combined together, we're practically grandmas in a relationship, so she shouldn't worry - we have a lot more life experience combined than her."

"You have a really cheesy way of cheering up people, did you know that?" smiled Kim as she kissed Shego on the cheek.

"Who cares if it's cheesy? As long as it's effective, that's what matters."

"Effective, how?"

"You feel better now, don't you?"

Kim nodded.

"Then that's all that matters to me. I never want you to feel uncomfortable with the way our relationship is going, nor do I want you feeling down because of what outsiders say about us."

"You're sweet."

"As pie. Apple pie."

Punch.

"What was that for?"

"Now you're being silly. You're more like hard-coated caramel. Tough on the outside, but a pile of goo when it's just you and me."

"Princess, I'm appalled," replied Shego in a feigned shocked voice. "Did you just compare me to a piece of candy?"

"It's not like being compared to a pie is any better..."

"Then you're candy corn if I'm hard caramel."

"What? Why?"

Shego shrugged. "Your hair, that was the first thing I thought of... Besides, it makes no sense. I'm not a pile of goo if I'm hard caramel... Usually that stuff is chewy... At least caramel corn is also chewy then. We'll be chewy candies together."

Kim giggled as Shego smirked. "Thanks, Shego."

"No prob, Kimmie. Don't let it get to you. If we feel comfortable, then we're good, ok?"

Kim nodded and wrapped her arms around Shego. She laid her head on her girlfriend's chest and closed her eyes.

* * *

"Hana, c'mere." Shego gestured to the teen to sit with her on the living room couch.

"What's up, Shego?"

The two women were alone in the Possible house. Kim had gone off to check on Bonnie at the Middleton Daily, Anne was called in for an emergency, James and the twins had to stop by the Middleton Space Centre to analyse moon rocks that were delivered by NASA the night before. Shego had figured that the empty house it was an opportunity to talk to Hana about any concerns the teen had about her relationship with Kim.

"You should know why I want to talk to you."

"Did Kim put you up to this?" asked Hana tersely. The past few days were just awkward ever since her disagreement with Kim in the car. The redhead would act nonchalant with Hana and the teen would respond apathetically during dinner conversations.

Shego shook her head. "No, I'm talking to you because _I_ want to ask you about your concerns."

"My concerns?"

"Yeah, it's clear to me that you had some qualms about the pace of my relationship with Kim. What gives?"

Hana shrugged. "I don't know, it just seems that you guys are moving along quickly. Hell, I bet you even have some of your stuff at Kim's apartment."

"I do, but I don't see how it should bother you."

"It... It kind of broke Kim up after the whole sitch with Eric... She hasn't really been the same since, I guess. She's more serious now and can't tolerate some of my wisecracks... The other day in the car, I was actually joking when I asked her whether you guys share everything and she got all defensive on me."

Shego ruffled the teen's hair. "It's understandable why Kim would react that way."

"I mean, I don't want to see her hurt again, but it actually hurt me more when she said I didn't trust you and her."

"Hana, I know you trust me... Otherwise, you would still be a pain in the ass to me."

"You mean, I'm not? I mean with this whole sitch with Kim-"

"Nah, it's just a misunderstanding. I get that you don't want to see Kim upset and hurt again, but I guess what I want you to understand that all relationships work differently. Some go quicker than others, some are just snail pace slow."

"I understand that... I guess sometimes I need to keep my mouth shut or think before I speak."

"That would be wise, but no one's forcing you to be like that," said Shego as she looked thoughtfully at the coffee table.

"You know what I think, Shego?" asked Hana as she played with the TV remote control.

"Hmm?"

"I think you go to great lengths to try to resolve whatever tensions Kim and I have whenever I say stupid things... Thank you for that."

"It's nothing," responded Shego with a wave of her hand.

"You love her, don't you?"

The question took Shego by surprise, so she merely raised an eyebrow as she stared at the teen.

"Just an observation, that's all." Hana shrugged.

Shego nodded briskly and tried to get her hair to shield her face by moving her head. She knew the teen caught a glimpse of her rose-coloured cheeks. It wasn't that she was embarrassed, but it was just a new feeling altogether for her - to know that she loved Kim and that Kim loved her back.

"I'll talk to Kim later tonight about my, uh, attitude. I really don't want to make things even more awkward when we fly to Paris this weekend."

Shego cleared her throat and was still looking away when she replied. "Ok."

"Thanks, Shego," said Hana. Again, the teen caught the older woman by surprise by hugging her.

* * *

"I had an interesting conversation with Hana today," said Kim as she came out of the bathroom in her nightgown. The couple was back in Kim's apartment for the night before their flight to make sure they packed everything. Shego had stopped by her own apartment earlier in the day to make sure she had enough (warm) clothes for their trip. The Possibles would be picking them up on the way to the airport with Hana.

"Seems to me someone had a talk with her."

Shego shrugged as she put away her glasses and book on the nightstand.

"Thank you."

"For...?"

"You know what I mean."

"It's nothing."

"It means something to me even if you think it's nothing... I'm just grateful, that all," said Kim as she climbed into bed. She kissed her girlfriend on the cheek and rolled onto her side to face Shego. "I'm glad things won't be super awkward anymore... I'm sorry to have involved you in this."

Shego brushed a strand of hair from Kim's face. "It's ok, I'd do whatever it takes to put that smile on your face."

"My, my, aren't you being rather romantic?" chuckled Kim. "I know I'd do the same for you, so thank you."

Shego smiled in response as they both slowly drifted to sleep.

* * *

"Have fun, girls! Hana, I expect phone calls when you're settled in again!"

"Sure thing, Anne," said Hana. She gave the Possible matriarch a hug and kissed James on the cheek. It was a strange sight for Shego when the teen "fistbumped" with the Possible twins.

"What does that even mean?" she asked Kim as they put their luggage onto the trolley.

"I think something to do with acknowledgment and being 'bros.'"

"I'm not around my brothers enough to see them do something like that, but it just looks strange."

Anne laughed. "Teenagers and their slang... And I guess gestures."

"Have a-"

"-good one!" laughed the twins. They both stuck out their fists and waited for Shego to "fistbump" them.

The older woman gave Kim a puzzled look but copied what Hana did earlier.

"Now, Kim, don't you give Shego here a hard time," said James. He audibly "whispered" to Shego, "Don't spoil her too much" and winked at her.

"I'll try not to," laughed Shego. "It is Paris, after all." She shook James' hand.

"Have a good one."

* * *

"Man, this is cool. I can't believe you managed to get the seats next to me," said Hana as she buckled her seatbelt.

"It's not exactly the holiday rush time for flights... I think this flight is about eighty percent booked?" replied the redhead.

They were in one of the bigger planes that had three columns of seats. Hana and Shego were seated by the aisles, whereas Kim was seated in-between the two.

"It's still a pretty big flight," said Shego as she reclined her seat. There was no one seated behind her so she decided to make herself comfortable. She flipped through the travel guide that Betty had given her.

"Have you guys decided where to go? Classes start the day after next so I can take you around for a bit after I'm unpacked."

"I think that's what we're going to figure out during the flight," laughed Kim.

"Cool! I'll list a bunch of places for you... I make a pretty good tour guide," replied the teen.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be fine?"

"Don't worry, Kim. It's all cool."

The three women were standing outside of one of the residences at Hana's school. Kim had managed to send off her and Shego's luggage to the hotel at the airport and decided to escort Hana back to campus.

"Ellie, my roommate, told me she was back yesterday, so I should be good with unpacking. You know my cell number so give me a call if you ever need to reach me."

"Sure thing."

"Have fun!"

"Will do," replied Kim.

When Hana disappeared into the building, Kim turned to Shego. "Where to?"

"Check into the hotel and make sure our luggage made it safely?"

"Ok. Do you want to take a cab or walk?"

Shego pulled out her phone and opened up the map application. While at the airport, they had managed to get SIM cards for their phones in case they needed to be contacted abroad. "We're not too far from there and it's not too cold... How about we walk the streets of Paris and take in the sights?"

Kim slipped her hand into the older woman's. "Sounds good."

Shego fixed the scarf around Kim's neck. "Don't want you catching a cold, heh."

"Thanks."

They walked around for a bit, just enjoying the scenery and saying nothing because conversation wasn't needed.

When they got to the hotel, the clerk gave them a pair of keys and sent a busboy to take them up to their room. Their luggage was indeed delivered safely, so Shego tipped the busboy as he left.

"I've got to say, Kim, you sure picked a nice hotel."

They were staying at one of the more exquisite hotels in Paris that had a good view of the Eiffel Tower.

The redhead shrugged as she unzipped her suitcase and began laying out clothes on the queen-sized bed.

Shego opted for the couch and lied down. She stared at the ceiling as she heard Kim put her clothes onto the hangers in the closet. She shifted to grab her purse on the coffee table and fished out her phone.

She punched in all too familiar number and looked at her watch as the call went through. It should be about around lunch time in Go City, she thought.

"Godeaux Residence, Marion speaking."

"Hi Mom, Kim and I are in Paris now," said Shego as she sat up. Kim was almost done unpacking her toiletries in the bathroom.

"Oh, Sheridan! I had thought you were still in transit."

"Nope, we managed to get here about two hours ago and went with Hana to her school... Now we're back in the hotel. Let me tell you the temporary number that you can reach us with in case of anything." Shego recited the number to her mother just as Kim emerged from the bathroom. The redhead sat beside her.

"Ok, thanks. Do you want to speak with Kim?" Hearing her mother's answer, Shego handed her cell phone to Kim.

"Hi, Marion."

"Kim! Glad to hear you all arrived safely. I've emailed you a short list of places you should try to go to when you have the time."

"Sure. Great. Thanks so much!"

"Take care of Sherri and have fun. Hopefully I'll see you when you come back."

"Sure thing. Thanks again!"

The line went dead as Marion hung up. Kim handed the phone back to Shego.

"So what now?" asked Shego as she snuggled with Kim on the sofa.

"I made a dinner reservation for seven-thirty." Kim checked her watch. "That's two hours from now..."

Shego raised a daring eyebrow.

"No!" laughed Kim. "You're going to make us late."

"Me? Why me? You're the one who's always wanting more," teased Shego.

Kim pecked Shego on the cheek. "After dinner? We should get dressed though... It's one of those fancy restaurants."

Shego laughed. "We're going to wear fancy clothes only to take them off after dinner."

"I heard the food is good."

"Dessert sounds better." Shego kissed Kim on the lips and snaked a hand up the redhead's shirt.

Relenting to Shego's touch, Kim laughed as her girlfriend gently kissed her collarbone. "No hickeys! We're wearing dresses during dinner and I won't be able to hide them!"

Shego pouted. "All right, all right, we'll play it safe for now." She gently removed her hand from under Kim's shirt and stuck out her pinky.

Kim hooked her pinky onto Shego's and smiled. "I think we're a bit too old for pinky promises, Shego."

The older woman winked and let the redhead kiss her in response.

"Come, let's find out what sexy number you'll be wearing for tonight."

* * *

"I honestly think we should skip dinner and just have dessert."

"Shego! Behave!"

The two women were in the elevator heading down to the hotel's mezzanine restaurant. Kim was dressed in a red dress that was neither too flashy, nor conservative, that complimented her hair. Shego wore a green and black dress that was checkered in a modern and obscure pattern, and had put up her hair.

Much to Kim's chagrin, she noticed several other hotel guests - the majority male - giving Shego a once-over as they made their way to the restaurant.

"Kim, relax." Shego put a comforting hand on Kim's arm as they stopped in front of the restaurant entrance. She had noticed the displeased and tense look on Kim's face as they cut through the lobby. "It's funny to see you unhinged by this."

"What?"

"You're angry at everyone who looks my way."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are." Shego playfully bumped her shoulder at Kim. "It's cute."

The redhead's cheeks turned pink as she looked away.

The maitre-d appeared at the entrance. "Yes, do you have a reservation?"

"Two under 'Possible,'" replied Shego.

The man examined the page of reservations carefully and stopped at a part of the page near the bottom. "Ah, oui, Possible. Deux." He took two menus and motioned for the women to follow him. "Va, va, follow."

They were seated in a quaint corner of the restaurant. It was dim inside but candles illuminated most of the tables.

"A waiter, Miguel, will be here soon," said the maitre-d as the women sat down.

Shego flipped through the menu and let out a low whistle as she saw the prices. "Kimmie... Are you sure this is all right? This blows fine dining back home out of the park."

"It's ok, I've got it covered."

Shego raised an eyebrow at the redhead. "Let me at least pay for half, Kim. This is really fancy stuff."

"It's fine."

Shego put down her menu and looked her girlfriend in the eye. The redhead's gaze was unwavering and Shego took Kim's hands in her own. "You know, eating fancy food in a fancy hotel isn't really necessary..."

"I know. I just felt like doing something special... At least just this once while we're in one of the most romantic cities in the world."

Shego squeezed Kim's hands in understanding. "That is true."

Then an extremely attractive man appeared at their table. This was, apparently, Miguel the waiter.

"Bonsoir, mesdemoiselles, je suis Miguel. Are you ready to order? How about drinks?"

Kim looked at Shego expectantly.

The older woman flashed him a smile. "Cabernet Sauvignon?"

"We have bottles from 1960s onwards."

Shego motioned for Kim to pick a year since she wasn't sure what Kim's budget was for this fancy meal.

"1989."

Miguel nodded. "And your courses?"

"I'll have the _Contre-filet de bœuf Black Angus au poivre_ , _bien cuit, avec les frites maison_."

"And I'll have the _Onglet saisi,_ _bien, avec la_ _purée de pommes de terre et la sélection de champignons_."

"Bon. I will be back with your wine."

Miguel disappeared into the kitchen.

"1989?"

"Anything from the sixties would cost a fortune and anything beyond the nineties would make us seem stingy."

Shego laughed. "I see. Makes sense though. I don't want you blowing up your credit limit on us."

Kim smiled. Shego was always so thoughtful. "I'll try not to... But it'd be worth it."

Shego smirked. Miguel came back with the wine and poured both ladies each a glass.

Shego swished hers around and did a taste test. " _Parfait_ , Miguel."

Kim did the same and nodded her head to concur.

"Excellente, your courses will be out shortly." He bowed and disappeared to another table.

"Here's to... Well, us." Shego toasted and waited for Kim to raise her glass too. The glasses clinked and they entwined arms to take a sip.

"Ah, I forgot to ask my mom about Chef Morimoto. I'll call her tomorrow. If I recall correctly, he should still be in Paris by the time we leave."

"Ok."

"If he is, when would be a good time for that lesson? Did you have any other plans?"

Kim shook her head. "Only for tonight."

"Ok. I'll just see which days work for him."

"I still can't believe you know him."

"Know...ish." Shego shrugged, took another sip, and turned to look at the other patrons in the restaurant.

She nearly choked on her wine when she saw another table being seated near them.

"Shego, are you ok?" The redhead noticed that her girlfriend looked like she just saw a ghost.

It was then that a tall brunette walked over and stopped at their table. She was wearing a flashy sort of dress that more or less screamed that she exuded wealth and there was nothing you could do about it. She cocked her head to the side and had a smug expression on her face.

"Well, well, it is you, Shego. And here I was thinking it was someone else. Fancy seeing you in a place like this."

Kim looked back and forth between the two women until Shego finally spoke.

"Hello, Morgan."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ex appears! Dun dun dun...
> 
> Chapter title is from "Treacherous" by Taylor Swift.


	63. A Place Where I Feel Safe

If Shego was shocked, she hid it well, Kim thought.

She continued looking between the women and wondered how Shego had dated the stuck-up woman at their table for six years.

Morgan smiled smugly. "It's Doctor Collins now."

"Congrats," Shego deadpanned.

"Now, now, Shego, no need for theatrics." Morgan turned to look at Kim and said in a nauseatingly sweet voice, "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Shego's eyes narrowed, surprising Kim. "I don't think it's worth my time or effort to do so for you."

Morgan laughed, smiled at Kim, and then offered her hand. " _Doctor_ Morgan Collins."

Under Shego's watchful eye, Kim shook Morgan's hand with a firm grip. "Kim Possible."

Shego noticed that Morgan remained impassive during the exchange. Perhaps she was unfamiliar with Middleton drama? It was likely since she had finished medical school in Go City and apparently travelled abroad after that.

"Pleasure. Well then, it was nice running into you again, Shego. I'll see you around." Morgan winked and then left the couple to their dinner.

Kim waited until Morgan sat back down at her table before speaking. "Are you-"

"-ok?" finished Shego. She cast a sidelong glance in Morgan's direction and chuckled. "I'm fine."

Kim nodded in acknowledgement, unsure how to dissipate any of the tension - or was it anger? - that Shego felt after her encounter with Morgan. The redhead looked in Morgan's direction and noticed a blonde-haired woman with the brunette. She focused her attention back to Shego and noticed that her girlfriend was looking that way too. Instead of Kim's curious eyes, Shego's were narrowed and it seemed like her jaw was clenched.

Miguel returned with their dinners shortly after and they ate in silence, only murmuring in surprise as they discovered their meals were more delicious than they imagined.

When it was time for dessert, Kim felt the need to break the silence. Shego was no longer looking their way, but Kim knew that the ordeal unsettled Shego. She had never seen the older woman tense up like that, but wasn't too sure whether it was appropriate for her to speak about it.

Kim used her fork to break a small piece of cheesecake. "Try this." She leaned in close and offered the piece to Shego.

The older woman ate it off the fork and nodded in appreciation. In return, she scooped up a fair amount of her (sundae) for Kim.

"Delicious."

"Mm, it is." Kim cleared her throat. "Do you want to go for a walk after...?"

"...to talk?"

The redhead shook her head. She wouldn't pry. "Just for some fresh air."

"All right. It's probably going to be cold though. We'd better get our coats after dinner."

"Sure."

* * *

"Fancy seeing you here."

"It's a bathroom, Morgan. Everyone comes and goes through here," replied Shego dryly.

"You know, you should stop being so hostile towards me. Let bygones be bygones."

Shego narrowed her eyes. She wasn't expecting to be harassed by Morgan in the bathroom of all places, but it couldn't be helped. She had to walk by Morgan's table to the bathroom, so it was evident that the brunette would see her going by. What she dreaded was what Kim might be thinking of Morgan following her into the bathroom.

"Was I being hostile?"

"One can interpret your attitude towards me as being hostile, yes."

"I don't forgive or forget so easily."

Morgan smirked as she pulled out lipstick from her clutch. "You know that I wouldn't be where I am today without you." She applied a light layer first and then smacked her lips. "I have you to thank for that."

Shego wasn't too sure whether her ex-girlfriend was being honest or just trying to guilt her into doing Morgan's bidding, so she answered carefully. "That may be true, but I most certainly am not thankful for where you are today."

Morgan laughed. "Are you this hostile to your current girlfriend? She's cute, by the way."

Shego rolled her eyes in response but said nothing. She would not give into Morgan's satisfaction and knowledge that Kim was her girlfriend. She preferred that the redhead would not be involved with whatever Morgan was scheming.

"What do you want, Morgan?"

The brunette laughed. "Let's talk later in the evening. I'll be at the bar at around eleven." She winked at Shego after making sure her makeup and lipstick were fine before leaving the bathroom.

* * *

They walked in silence through the streets of Paris. Kim pulled up her coat collar as a cold breeze blew past them.

"Here." Shego took off her scarf and put it onto the redhead. "Don't want you to catch a cold."

"Thanks." Kim let Shego wrap the scarf around her neck. "Are you sure you'll be fine?"

The older woman nodded.

"Ok." Kim reached for Shego's hand as they resumed walking. "I didn't realise it'd be this cold..."

Shego nodded. "Good thing I brought the scarf."

Kim squeezed Shego's hand in response.

Shego stopped walking and sighed. "Sorry, I have a lot of things on my mind right now."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

Shego paused and fiddled with her coat. A couple holding hands walked by them as Shego furrowed her brow in thought. "I figured that since it's been so long that I wouldn't really be affected by Morgan's presence, but I'm not."

"I think," Kim said thoughtfully, "we both might not feel that way for a long while... I mean, we've both had pretty nasty break-ups with our exes and that's normal. We just have to get through it in our own ways."

"Yes, but I don't want it to affect us." Shego made a gesture between her and Kim. "It just bothers me that I'm so bothered by it."

Kim took Shego's hands in hers. "I'm bothered whenever Eric is mentioned, so you're not alone there. You don't have to be alone in this."

"I don't want to drag you into whatever mess I was involved in the past."

"You don't think I feel the same?" Kim laughed bitterly. "Wherever we go, I'm afraid whatever you hear about me will affect how you see-"

"-I told you before that I won't believe what they say."

"I know. It's an irrational fear that we both share, but I know we'll be all right since we..." Kim faltered. She wasn't sure whether this was the time and place for this sort of talk.

Shego picked up on Kim's indecision and hovered her face close to Kim's. "Love each other," she finished in a whisper. Kim nodded before Shego kissed her on the mouth.

Shego placed her forehead on Kim's and looked the redhead in the eye. "I know this is an inappropriate moment to bring it up, but Morgan asked me to meet her at the hotel bar to have a 'talk.'"

Kim closed her eyes for a moment and opened them again. "Are you going to go meet her?"

"I... Don't know." Shego stared at Kim's olive eyes and answered truthfully. "There's a part of me that wants to so I can verbally berate her, but that would be beneath me."

"Not really. She was the one who wronged you..." answered Kim.

"And then there's a part of me that doesn't want to because the past is the past and I shouldn't dwell on it."

Kim wrapped her arms around Shego's neck and gently kissed her girlfriend. "You do what you think feels right."

Kim had tossed the ball back into Shego's turf since she knew she didn't want to meddle in old affairs that she might not understand. That being said, however, she didn't want Shego to be the only one to bear whatever burden or pain that her girlfriend was going through.

Shego seemed to understand the subtlety in Kim's answer and nodded. "All right. I'll figure out what to do when we get back to the hotel." She took Kim by the hand. "Come on, we have a city to explore."

* * *

"I thought you wouldn't come." Morgan swirled her martini in one hand and ate the olive in the other.

Shego watched her ex devour the olive and the finish off the drink in one swig.

"Slow down there," commented Shego.

"I'm surprised you even bothered to care," said Morgan. She gave Shego a rather apologetic look. "After all, it is _me_ you are talking to."

Shego shrugged as she sat beside Morgan at the bar. "I'll have a rum and Coke," she said to the barkeep.

"So you and Kim are an item?"

Shego shrugged again.

"Is that all you're going to do? Shrug at me because you're still mad?"

"You're the one who wanted to talk," said Shego coolly.

Morgan turned in her seat to give Shego a long hard look.

"You've changed."

"How so?"

"You used to bend over backwards for me and now you're just acting like you never cared."

"Why dwell on things that happened in the past?"

"Why, indeed," murmured Morgan as she signalled the barkeep for another martini. "I want to ask you something, but you need to answer truthfully."

"All right."

"When did you stop loving me?"

Shego was taken aback by the question. Of all things she expected Morgan to ask (a majority involved questions about Kim), she didn't expect this. She gave it a moment's thought before speaking.

"Probably the same week you upped and left."

"You were _that_ angry, huh," said Morgan as she nodded at the barkeep when he placed a fresh martini in front of her. "No, I don't believe that. It must've been when you met Kim."

Shego sipped on her drink, deciding it was better to not acknowledge or deny Morgan's claim.

"I think," Morgan swished the martini around, "That it took you so long because you honestly loved me."

Again, Shego remained silent.

Don't fall into her tricks and sweet talk again, Shego thought. She's just trying to guilt you into doing her bidding - whatever it may be.

Morgan took another sip of her martini. "And all I needed to do to shatter whatever paradise we had by giving into something simple like lust."

Shego laughed bitterly. "What are you trying to do by telling me all these things? I think it's too late for repentance. The damage has been done and I don't see why all of this warrants a conversation."

Morgan tilted her head to the side and chuckled. "You're missing my point."

"All you're doing is just telling me things I already know."

"So you did love me back then... If what I am saying are things you already know."

Shego blushed. Morgan always had a way with words, she thought. She could go from one topic to another seamlessly. Maybe that's why I was so oblivious to the cheating. She talked her way out of me finding out.

"It's all right, Shego. I'll be frank. I loved you at a point in our relationship."

"But that point must've been really early on for you. How many women did you sleep with during your late night 'study' sessions in medical school'?"

Morgan opened her mouth to answer but Shego cut her off.

"I don't want to know. I don't think I ever want to know." Shego downed the rest of her drink. "You failed to realise that your selfish actions made me very miserable and angry for a very long time. Part of me was thinking we had it good but I was just so oblivious to what you did that even my parents had no idea whether I'd be able to bounce back. I hope you're happy now, but you know what? I'm happier now without you than I've ever been."

With that, Shego left several Euros for the barkeep and simply said, "Good night, Morgan" and walked away.

* * *

"Hey."

Kim put down her magazine and looked up at the clicking sound of the door closing. She had changed out of her dress after Shego left to talk with Morgan and was reading a magazine to settle her nerves. While she trusted Shego with all her heart, she was still nervous about the outcome of their meeting.

"How'd it go?"

"I... feel like crap, to be honest."

"Oh." The redhead patted on the couch and Shego sat.

"I mean, I said what I wanted to say but I sort of feel horrible after."

"Maybe you just need to let it sink in that you said what you wanted to say, no matter how overdue it may be."

"I guess."

"Come." Kim took Shego by the hands and led her to the bathroom. The lights were turned off but the glow of candles surrounding the jacuzzi illuminated the entire bathroom.

"Wow. What's this for?" Shego noted the wine glasses and a bottle of wine next to the tub.

"I figured you could do with some relaxing, so I asked the restaurant to send up the rest of the bottle."

"You didn't have to-"

"-it's never easy trying to forget past pains, much harder when we face them in the present."

Shego smiled. "You're very thoughtful, you know that?"

"I try when I can."

"Come on, let's just get naked and-"

"-Shego."

"Ok, ok, let's get ready for a bath..." Shego waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Shego." Kim rolled her eyes.

The older woman laughed. "Wine and a hot tub with my favourite woman in the world? Sounds like fun!"

Kim simply shook her head in amusement as Shego more or less lifted her into the tub (clothes and all).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The shitstorm has passed...?
> 
> Chapter title is from "In Your Arms" by Kina Grannis.


End file.
